(Reuters) – The sports director of SD Worx, Danny Stam, has been banned for “dangerous” overtaking during the Tour de France Femmes and making “inappropriate comments” to the International Cycling Union’s (UCI) panel, the sports governing body said on Friday.
The incident occurred after SD Worx’s Demi Vollering was handed a 20-second penalty for drafting behind the team car during Stage 5 on Thursday, which led to the 26-year-old Dutchwoman being dropped from second to seventh in the general classification (GC).
Stam had criticised the penalty, calling it “totally ridiculous.”
The 51-year-old former Dutch racing cyclist has also been given a fine of 500 Swiss francs ($575).
“We are surprised that the UCI imposes this penalty, but accept this measure,” SD Worx said in a statement.
“Perhaps in the first moment we reacted a little too emotionally to Demi Vollering’s time penalty. Too bad this happened.”
SD Worx said they will continue the race with Anna van der Breggen as the first sports director.
“Our mission remains the same and that is to win the Tour de France Femmes. Everyone is more than 100 per cent motivated to go for that in the coming days,” SD Worx added.
Danish cyclist Emma Jorgensen leads the GC.
The Tour de France Femmes concludes on Sunday.
($1 = 0.8680 Swiss franc)
($1 = 0.8691 Swiss francs)
(Reporting by Pearl Josephine Nazare in Bengaluru; editing by Pritha Sarkar)
