It’s fair to say that cycling has a notoriously rich history with cheating. From the Tour de France’s first ever winner Maurice Garin being chucked off the next year’s edition (along with 11 others) for catching a train, to drafting, drugs and motor doping — if you can think of a way to gain an unfair advantage in a bike race, somebody’s probably tried it.

Well, in a bizarre latest addition to the genre, two Dutch riders have been chucked out of the Tour de la Guadeloupe for hiding behind parked cars in order to rejoin the front of the race.

Footage has appeared online showing the incident, the two riders Tenniglo Niels and Huub van Kapel seen waiting at the roadside as the peloton passes, before setting off to rejoin the race.

It happened on yesterday’s second day of the nine-stage UCI 2.2 race which takes place on the Caribbean island, an event this year being contested by continental and semi-pro teams, former Ineos climber Sebastián Henao the startlist’s biggest name.

The stage saw riders complete a loop section, where numerous crashes and punctures happened. It’s been suggested that Niels and Van Kapel had been caught behind and then attempted to rejoin the front of the race by cutting off the loop and waiting for the peloton behind some parked cars.

Tour de la Guadeloupe cheating scandal
Tour de la Guadeloupe cheating scandal (Image Credit: Twitter/Guadeloupe la 1ère)

They were spotted by the president of the race jury and roadside spectators, video footage clearly showing the incident, the GRC Jan van Arckel riders disqualified for ‘Deviation from the course with advantage, attempt to be classified without having completed the entire course’.

Frédéric Théobald, president of the CRCIG, told Franceinfo, it was a “very serious” incident and there will be a report to the sport’s governing body the UCI.

> A brief history of motor doping in cycling, from the pro peloton to amateur hill climbs

“The referee saw them, the jury president saw them leave, but he didn’t have the bibs,” he explained. “And in the meantime, I have a friend who was stopped in front of the velodrome – he told me that there were two riders, 74 and 75, who were near him, waiting, and who then joined the peloton. And immediately after, I had two videos to support this big charade, because that’s it. It’s very serious.

“The commissaire excluded them during the race. They continued, but they were excluded. They received a heavy fine, and there will be a report to the UCI.”

Each rider was fined 100 Swiss francs and has been deduced 20 UCI points. It was not the only controversy to come out of the race’s opening weekend.

President Théobald said more sanctions would be dished out too, that after another video online showed a sticky bottle incident.

“There will be more sanctions that will fall tomorrow morning,” Théobald said. “I remind you that cycling is a sport that is practised by pedalling and holding onto your handlebars, your handlebars and nothing else… It’s dangerous.”

> “Appalling behaviour for a pro cyclist”: Thibaut Pinot joins fans in slamming Lenny Martinez’s “absurd” triple sticky bottle

The next bizarre cheating scandal is never too far away in the world of cycling. Last year’s was the former cycling film actor who was accused of motor doping at a French stage race before dramatically fleeing as his teammate knocked down a race director with their van.

Giovambattista Iera denied any wrongdoing, insisting he “did not run away or strike an organiser”. 

Before that, in 2022, Cycling South Africa suspended a Zwift racer caught hacking data during a world championships qualifier. Eddy Hoole was banned from Zwift racing for six months and sacked by his team as a result.

For 120 years of cheating at the Tour de France, check out our feature on the most egregious and at times ingenious rule-breaking.