New Zealand cyclist Kiaan Watts has been handed a 25-day ban by the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) after he was filmed punching a rival during a race in the Netherlands last month.
The 24-year-old struck Dutch cyclist Marijn Maas in the head during the Salverda Bouw Ster van Zwolle race on 7 March. Video footage captured the incident, leading to the sanction.
The UCI confirmed that Watts accepted the suspension, which will keep him out of competition until 2 May. In a statement, the governing body said: “Kiaan Watts will serve a period of suspension of 25 days, with the one-day suspension imposed on the rider by his team on March 8 being credited from the period of suspension.”
Following the altercation, Watts apologised on social media, attributing his actions to the “heat of the moment”. His team, NSN Development Team, also issued a statement expressing regret and extending an apology to Maas, his team, race organisers, and UCI commissaires.
