The friends and family of Julien Bernard gathered on a hillside to greet him as the Tour de France passed by his home during Friday’s stage in Burgundy giving him a welcome that authorities found a little too warm.
Celebrations went too far for the International Cycling Union (UCI) race commissaries, responsible for imposing general rules during races.
While normally these rules concern answering the call of nature in public or deviating dangerously from one’s line, Friday’s offence was of a more festive nature.
With a huge crowd outside Nuits-Saint-Georges chanting the local boy’s name, he stopped to hug and kiss his wife Margot, who had their child Charles in her arms at the time.
“I’d been waiting for this moment since the route was announced last October,” he told local newspaper ‘Le Bien Public’.
“This kind of moment comes once in a lifetime and never mind if they fined me.”
The 200 Swiss Franc (205 euro/$223) fine imposed by the UCI was “for behaviour damaging to the image of the sport”.
“My wife organised for everyone to come and see me at that point of the race and I wanted to show my gratitude and thank her for that,” explained the 32-year-old.
The authorities were more bothered by the behaviour of his friends who whipped up the deep crowds threatening the security barrier and pushing forwards with the locals cheering “Lalalala Julien Bernard”.
For the record, he came 61st on the day 3min 11sec down on winner Remco Evenepoel.
Agence France-Presse
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