It's not the first time that Jan-Willem van Schip has been disqualified during a race for various irregularities (clothing, saddle position, non-compliant bike...) but this time he also had to deal with the French Gendarmerie.

It happened on Sunday during the fourth and final stage of the Ronde de l'Oise when the Azérion/Villa Valkenburg rider was removed from the race because he was wearing a water bottle under his jersey, between his side and chest, creating an aerodynamic effect not permitted by regulations. Van Schip, who claimed he had not violated any rules, refused to abandon the race and obviously paid the consequences.

The French newspaper Ouest France reports an audio recording in which race commissioner Rosella Bonfanti can be heard saying: "Number 31 (Van Schip's race number at the Tour, ed.) refuses to abandon the race, despite the disqualification. He will be stopped by the Gendarmerie."

The gendarmerie did indeed intervene: according to Ouest France, Van Schip was stopped on the ground at the roadside, while the rider downplayed the incident and explained that he fell to the ground due to the emotion and excitement of the moment and that the officer, captured in the still image we are showing you, simply bent down to check on his condition.

At the end of the race, the jury report recorded the Dutch rider's disqualification for wearing non-compliant clothing according to regulations, with a double fine: for violating the regulations and for not following the jury's instructions. He also received a fine for this infraction, as well as for not following the race jury's instructions.