There are defeats that hurt. And there are defeats that pay off
Mathieu van der Poel held the hot seat for almost an hour after his blistering time trial at the Tour de Suisse. Would his best time hold? Nobody knew. Only one thing was certain: it was sweltering. So the Dutchman did what any normal person would do in 30 degrees. He rolled his skin-tight skinsuit down to his hips and sat on his chair with his top off.
The TV cameras showed what they shouldn’t have shown: nipples. The viewers took it in their stride. The UCI did not.
The International Cycling Union imposed a fine of 500 Swiss francs for “inappropriate attire on the hot seat”. In other words: two exposed nipples cost 540 euros.
The American magazine Outside promptly turned it into “Nipplegate”. Of course. When it comes to bare skin, the US knows only two scenarios: scandal or the Super Bowl half-time show.
Yet the scene seemed more human than provocative. Van der Poel was sweating. He was waiting. He was cooling down. That was all that had happened. At 30 degrees and after such a strenuous effort – perfectly understandable.
In sporting terms, the day had already been bitter enough. Tadej Pogačar then pipped him to first place by the narrowest of margins. On the 23.7-km time trial course around Aarburg, both riders clocked exactly 26.37 minutes. According to the official timing, the Slovenian was 0.31 seconds faster. Mathieu Van der Poel’s first time trial victory of his professional career was gone. The fine was thrown in for free on top of that.
And this is exactly where the PR miracle begins
Without the penalty, van der Poel would have remained the unlucky runner-up. The penalty turned him into a crowd favourite overnight. Fans worldwide are shaking their heads at the interpretation of the rules, the media are reporting on it, and fans are showing their solidarity on social media. Suddenly, nobody is talking about the defeat any more – but about a rider who unzipped his jacket because of the heat.
No advertising agency could have come up with a better idea. Global attention. Goodwill included. Cost: 540 euros.
For a driver whose sponsors invest millions, that must have been the cheapest marketing campaign of the year.
Perhaps the UCI should issue more fines in future.
Some things are priceless.
Dimitri Lehner
Editor
