(DailyVantage.com) – For a country renowned for its love of love, the French can be surprisingly prudish. The Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) fined French bicyclist Julien Bernard on July 5 for kissing his wife and son during the famous Tour de France competition.
Bernard was completing the seventh section of the Tour in Burgundy, his home region, when he was greeted by his family and supporters. Footage on social media show him on his bike rolling through the streets as fans applauded and made a fuss. Then, Bernard’s wife appeared in the crowd holding the couple’s son.
Bernard paused to give them both a kiss then proceeded with the race.
That cost the cyclist the U.S. equivalent of $223 in fines to the UCI. Why? The ruling body deemed it “unseemly or inappropriate behavior” to kiss one’s family and would “damaged the image of the sport.”
The French cyclist’s response was nonchalant. He said he was sorry “for damaging the image of the sport” in a post on Twitter/X. But, said Bernard, he would pay “200 Swiss francs” each day to be able to “experience this moment again.”
Bernard said his wife had organized the group of family and supporters, spending weeks on the preparation. He said moments like that one kept him going and enthusiastic about cycling.
Bernard was participating in the Tour’s seventh stage time trial. The UCI was not amused, responding tartly and issuing the fine. Bernad seemed surprised at first, saying on social media, “Sorry, but what was that?”
Out of all the riders, Bernard took 61st place in this trial, finishing three minutes and 11 seconds behind Remco Evenpoel.
Since Bernard knew of his wife’s plans for the mini get together along the route, he had been looking forward to it. “I had been waiting for months,” he told the media after the event. It’s difficult to stop and say hello to family or supporters during cycling events, he said, which is why they picked the time trial as the right moment for it.
The greeting would only happen once in his lifetime, Bernard said, and he thanks his wife for it.
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