New Zealand cyclist banned for punching fellow rider during race

Kiaan Watts has been banned for 25 days Luc Claessen/Getty Images Share full articleNew Zealand cyclist Kiaan Watts has been banned for 25 days by the sport’s governing body for punching a fellow rider in the head during a race in March. The Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) announced in statement on Thursday that Watts, 25, will be suspended from April 9 to May 2 after video footage showed him punching Marijn Maas during a race in the Netherlands. The incident happened just over 33 kilometres from the finish line of the Salverda Bouw Ster van Zwolle, a one day event, on March 7. Watts was disqualified by the race officials and also suspended by his NSN Development Team. According to the UCI, Watts acknowledged the violation and accepted the sanction. “Video footage of the incident at the Dutch event on 7 March 2026 showed Kiaan Watts reaching towards another rider and delivering him a closed fist punch,” the UCI statement read. Watts was also fined CHF 200 (£188.34; $253.01) and had 25 UCI points deducted. “The UCI issues a reminder that, as holders of UCI licences and members of the cycling community, riders enjoy rights and assume responsibilities aimed at promoting the values of cycling and protecting the integrity of the sport,” the UCI statement continued. Watts is not the first cyclist to face a sanction for such an incident. Italian cyclist Gianni Moscon was disqualified from the 2018 Tour de France after attempting to punch another rider, while Italian Gianluca Brambilla and Russian Ivan Rovny were both ejected from the Vuelta a Espana following a fight in 2014. Spot the pattern. Connect the terms Find the hidden link between sports terms Nnamdi Onyeagwara joined us in November 2022, initially helping us cover the World Cup before becoming a Junior News Editor in January 2023. Born in North London, Nnamdi attended Nottingham Trent University and previously worked at The Voice and the Barnet Post. Follow Nnamdi on Twitter @nnamdionye