Dutch rider Jan-Willem van Schip was disqualified from a race for breaking UCI rules for a second time this season on Sunday.
The Azerion-Villa Valkenburg rider was kicked out of stage four of the Ronde l’Oise for “non-compliant clothing equipment”, according to the race’s official report, but Van Schip himself said that it was because he put a bottle under his jersey, which could breach UCI Rule 1.3.032.
It is the fifth time since 2021 that the 31-year-old has been disqualified. Last month, he was ejected from the the Tour of Hellas for resting his forearms on his handlebars during stage two of the race.
At the Ronde de l’Oise, Van Schip had already been given a 200CHF fine on stage two for a handlebar position judged to be dangerous to himself or his competitors.
“Here we are again,” Van Schip, a two-time track world champion, said in an Instagram post after his most recent disqualification, Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf reported. “After the Tour of Hellas, I tried to find out what was wrong, but it was impossible to discover why I was disqualified.
“The first stage went well. On the second stage, I was in the early breakaway. I was sitting very neatly. They kept driving past in the car and filming the whole time. I thought, ‘What is this?’ And I saw the other men in the breakaway all slumped over on their bikes, which isn’t allowed. And after the ride, I suddenly got a fine: the position wasn’t right.”
On stage four, the problem stemmed from him putting a water bottle under his jersey, which was spotted by a commissaire. Van Schip continued: “Suddenly that guy completely flipped out: ‘You’re out of the race.’ I thought that this can’t be right, because the rule that you’re not allowed to do things inside your shirt anymore doesn’t change until next month [the UCI is banning front pockets on jerseys from July]. But I thought it was very strange. I just kept cycling.”
The jury then returned, and he left the race. Van Schip said: “Is my left toe not right? Is the moon not positioned correctly? What is the problem? Disqualified again because I had a water bottle in my shirt. I don’t know, I’m doing my best. It just isn’t really working out. It’s really very sad.”
Fellow pro cyclist Victor Campenaerts commented “#freewillem” on the Dutchman’s Instagram post. After his previous disqualification, Van Schip said that he did not feel welcome in cycling.
