Cyclist Handed 25-Day Ban for On-Race Altercation

The governing body of world cycling has imposed a 25-day ban on New Zealand's Kiaan Watts following an incident in which he punched a fellow competitor, Marijn Maas of the Netherlands, during a race last month. The incident occurred on March 7 at the Salverda Bouw Ster van Zwolle race. Watts, 24, has accepted the suspension, which will run until May 2. The Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) confirmed that Watts will serve the suspension, with a one-day team-imposed suspension on March 8 counted towards the total. Watts apologized for his actions on social media, citing the heat of the moment, and his team, NSN Development Team, also issued an apology. The team emphasized its expectation that riders compete in a sporting and professional manner at all times and extended apologies to Maas, the BEAT CC p/b Saxo team, race organizers, and UCI officials.