French cyclist Julien Bernard found himself in a unique situation during Stage 7 of the Tour de France, resulting in a fine for what was deemed “unseemly or inappropriate behaviour” by the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI). Bernard was fined 200 CHF ($220) for stopping briefly to kiss his wife, who was holding their child, during the individual time trial from Nuits-Saint-Georges to Gevrey-Chambertin in Burgundy.

In a playful apology on social media, Bernard posted on X, formerly known as Twitter, saying, “I’m sorry for having damaged the image of the sport,” accompanied by a grimacing emoji. He added, “But I would pay 200 CHF ($220) every day to relive this moment.”

The 25.3-kilometer (roughly 15.7 miles) route passed through Bernard’s home region, drawing his family and friends to the roadside to cheer him on. They held homemade posters with messages like “Allez JB!” and gathered excitedly as Bernard approached. Amidst the excitement, Bernard paused to kiss his wife, who stood among the crowd, holding their child. This brief moment of affection led to the convergence of supporters around the family before they parted to allow Bernard to continue.

Bernard shared a screenshot of the fine issued by the UCI, which cited him for behavior that allegedly damaged the image of the sport. The French cyclist expressed his eagerness for this moment since the route was announced the previous October. He told the local newspaper Le Bien Public, “This kind of moment comes once in a lifetime and never mind if they fined me. The fine was explained as for behavior damaging to the image of the sport. My wife organized for everyone to come and see me at that point of the race, and I wanted to show my gratitude and thank her for that.”

Acknowledging friends and family by the roadside during a more relaxed moment in the race is relatively common, especially for French cyclists in the Tour de France. This tradition adds a personal touch to the grueling event, though it occasionally leads to scrutiny from race officials.

Danish cyclist Magnus Cort responded to Bernard’s post on X, sharing a video of himself kissing his wife by the roadside and humorously noting, “What a joke. I guess I was lucky when they missed me a couple of days ago.” 

Conversely, former US cyclist Lance Armstrong seemed less supportive, commenting in an Instagram story, “Oh no, he’s straight up stopped. Oh no, no, no.”

Despite the fine and mixed reactions, Bernard remained positive about the incident. His affectionate gesture underscored the human aspect of professional sports, where personal moments can intersect with the demands of high-stakes competition. Bernard finished 61st on the stage, trailing stage winner Remco Evenepoel by 3 minutes and 11 seconds.