100CHF fine for using Giro time trial to ask a woman out
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Belgian champion Victor Campenaerts (LottoNl-Jumbo)(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Belgian champion Victor Campenaerts (LottoNL-Jumbo)(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
Victor Campenaerts at the Giro d'Italia(Image credit: Tim de Waele/TDWSport.com)
A smiling Victor Campenaerts (LottoNl-Jumbo)(Image credit: Jonathan Devich/epicimages.us)
Victor Campenaerts (Belgium)
Victor Campenaerts may have bagged himself a date with his stunt at the Giro d'Italia time trial, but the bill is racking up before he's even sat down to dinner, as he's been fined 100CHF by the UCI for 'damaging the image of cycling'.
Campenaerts unzipped his skinsuit at the start and finish of his time trial effort on Tuesday to reveal the words 'Carlien daten?' - 'Carlien, date?' - penned across his chest. Remarkably, it worked, and the mystery woman, Carlien Cavens agreed to go out with the LottoNL-Jumbo rider after being tracked down by Belgian media.
The UCI, however, failed to see the stunt as a feel-good story, and Campenaerts' name appeared on the Giro jury's report for Wednesday's stage 11, alongside a rider who had slipstreamed for too long and a directeur sportif who'd driven irresponsibly.
"Behaviour of a rider which damages the image of cycling. 1st infringement," reads Campenaert's offence, citing Article 12.1.040.37bis of the UCI's regulations.
The regulations call for a fine of between 20CHF and 100CHF, and Campenaerts was hit with the maximum.
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