Maxim Van Gils has been suspended for 25 days by the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) after throwing a punch during the Japan Cup Criterium in mid-October. The UCI announced this on Monday.
Edward Theuns (Lidl-Trek) won the Japan Cup Criterium on October 14, but immediately after, most of the attention turned to Van Gils, who finished tenth. Immediately after the finish, he threw a punch at Greek rider Georgios Bouglas.
25-day suspension The 24-year-old Lotto Dstny cyclist realized his mistake in reacting with a blow to the neck during the competition. Apologies were immediate, and he expressed regret, stating at the time:
“I sincerely regret what I did and apologized to the competition jury. They fined me, and I will lose some UCI points. I accept this sanction and have learned my lesson. It was an occurrence due to the dangerous behavior of another rider, an incident in the heat of the moment, but it happened wrong.”
The Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) opened a disciplinary investigation, which has now been concluded. In its statement, the UCI stated: “The video of the incident showed Maxim Van Gils punching another rider in the back of the helmet at the finish. The rider accepted the sanction proposed by the UCI.”
As a result, Van Gils will serve a 25-day suspension, starting on January 20, 2024.