Lotto-Dstny and Maxim Van Gils apologize for punch-throwing incident in Japan Cup Criterium

Lotto-Dstny and Maxim Van Gils have issued a full apology after the Belgian lashed out at another rider in the finish of the Japan Cup criterium on Saturday.

Van Gils, 23, was caught on camera delivering a headslap to a rider widely identified as Greek racer Giorgios Bouglas just as the two, part of the main peloton, were crossing the line. 

Bouglas finished eighth and Van Gils was ranked as tenth in the criterium in Utsunomiya, a city near Tokyo, which acts as a curtain-raiser for the main Japan Cup road race later this weekend. Van Gils was named earlier this week by Lotto-Dstny as part of their line-up for the 1.HC-ranked event.

“We sincerely regret the behaviour of our rider Maxim Van Gils in the Japan Cup Criterium,” the Lotto-Dstny statement read. “Maxim and his team want to apologize for his gesture at the end of the race.”

“I deeply regret what I did and I already apologized to the race jury", says Maxim. "They gave me a fine (50 CHF) and I will lose some UCI points.”

“The gesture was a reaction to the dangerous behaviour of another rider, but I know that what I did was wrong. It was a reaction in the heat of the moment, but a wrong one and I should not have punched him and kept my hands on the handlebars.”

“I accept the penalty of the UCI and I apologize for what I did. This is also an important lesson for the future to keep myself calm in situations like this and to react in a proper way after the race."

A pro since 2021, Van Gils best result to date was a win in the Saudi Tour back in 2022. He also finished second on the Grand Colombier stage of the Tour de France this summer. 

The 2023 Japan Cup criterium itself was won by Edward Theuns (Lidl-Trek) for a third time in the Belgian's career.

X/MarkContador