Mathieu van der Poel fined in Swiss Tour time trial, praised for performance

During the time trial of the Tour of Switzerland, Dutch rider Mathieu van der Poel was penalised by the race jury with a 500‑franc fine for riding without a shirt in extreme heat. The sanction sparked discussion about the UCI’s strict clothing regulations and whether they should be flexible under hot conditions.

Former cyclocross world champion Sven Nys highlighted van der Poel’s impressive progress in the discipline, noting that the rider has spent countless hours training specifically for time trials. Nys said this preparation paid off with the near‑victory in Switzerland and could be decisive for the upcoming Tour de France, where Alpecin‑Premier Tech will contest the opening team time trial in Barcelona.