Tadej Pogačar won the Liège-Bastogne-Liège Monument on Sunday, once again demonstrating his dominance in cycling. However, an unexpected penalty followed after the podium ceremony: the race stewards fined the Slovenian 5000 Swiss francs. The reason, according to the jury report: a violation of UCI article 1.3.072.6 regarding the world champion's equipment. Specifically, the placement of the advertising on the world champion's jersey during the podium ceremony was incorrect. About five hours later, the penalty quietly disappeared from the official documents. Neither the UCI nor the race commissaires commented publicly on the matter.
Drastic differences in sentencing
The amount of the penalty originally imposed is at the upper end of the UCI sanctions. A comparison with other incidents illustrates the discrepancy: Kiaan Watts was only fined 200 francs for a blow to the head of a competitor during the race. Isaac del Toro was fined the same amount for exposing his chest, while Lenny Martinez was also fined 200 francs for one of the most obvious sticky-bottle offences in recent history. Jhonatan Narváez had to pay 500 francs for improperly throwing away rubbish at the 2025 Tour de France, while Arnaud de Lie only paid 200 francs for a public toilet break in the same race. Julien Bernard was also fined 200 francs for kissing his wife at the 2024 Tour de France. The UCI normally only imposes fines of 5,000 francs for serious offences.
Rainbow stripes under strict control
The incident is one in a series of cases that show how seriously the UCI takes the protection of its rainbow stripes. In 2025, the world governing body called on component and frame manufacturer Ritchey to stop using the rainbow colours. This was despite the fact that Ritchey had been using the stripes for two decades before the UCI trademark registration in early 2010. The UCI guidelines for jerseys include a 117-page document entitled "UCI Jerseys Visual Guidelines: Manufacturer Specifications & Model Variations". This sets out precise specifications on proportions, positioning, colour sequence and spacing between logos and other design elements. The document also regulates when and where the UCI logo may be used.
Speculation about the specific offence
Initially, observers suspected that the black mourning armband could have been the reason for the penalty. Pogačar wore it during the race in memory of his former team-mate Cristian Camilo Muñoz, who died after an infection following a crash. The armband covered the left rainbow stripes on his sleeve. However, the specific wording in the jury report made it clear that it was not the mourning armband that was the trigger. Instead, the answer probably lies in the detailed specifications of the 117-page set of rules mentioned above. This defines exactly where sponsor logos may be placed on the world champion jersey and what distances must be maintained. Which specific aspect ultimately led to the original penalty and why it was withdrawn remains unclear. The lack of communication on the part of the UCI leaves room for interpretation regarding the application of its own regulations.
Leon Weidner
Working student
