2023-10-11 14:27:42
In China, slanted eyes earned him the dismissal… A cyclist from the Belgian team Intermarché-Circus-Wanty, the Estonian Madis Mihkels, was excluded by his training from the Tour of Guangxi, Wednesday in China , on the eve of the start of the race. Reason: having mimed slanted eyes and having distributed the photo on social networks.
“We deeply regret the behavior of our runner Madis Mihkels and the images that appeared on social networks (…). We have decided to withdraw Madis Mihkels from the event and will now analyze the disciplinary consequences to be given to this incident,” indicates the Belgian team in a press release.
Landed in China ????????????
We race Tour of Guangxi for 6 days!???????? Sven Erik Bystrøm
???????? Rune Herregodts
???????? Julius Johansen
???????? Madis Mihkels
???????? Adrien Petit
???????? Laurenz Rex
???????? Gerben Thijssen pic.twitter.com/nQny0USILn— Intermarché-Circus-Wanty (@IntermarcheCW) October 10, 2023
The World Tour team, the elite of world cycling, apologizes “to the Chinese people and fans, to the Guangxi provincial government, to the China Cycling Federation and to all parties involved in the organization of the Tour of Guangxi for the conveyed image of our sport”.
Several Internet users questioned the Belgian team on social networks, accusing the 20-year-old Estonian runner of racism. We therefore see him miming with slanted eyes on images taken by one of his teammates, the Belgian Gerben Thijssen, and shared on the latter’s Instagram account, since deleted. The latter was not the subject of any sanction from his team.
The Tour of Guangxi, the last World Tour event on the calendar which takes place in this autonomous region in southern China, is due to start on Thursday from Beihai and arrive next Tuesday in Guilin.
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