Van der Poel fined for his attire – or lack thereof – on Tour de Suisse hot seat
Mathieu van der Poel came within less than half a second of scoring the first time trial victory of his pro career on Saturday's stage 4 of the Tour de Suisse, however Tadej Pogačar ultimately screeched across the finish line 0.4 of a second faster. Shortly after this disappointment, the Dutchman was also handed a 500 CHF fine for his 'inappropriate attire while on the hot seat'.
Van der Poel had spent much of his time in the hot seat with his skinsuit pulled down around his waist to expose his chest to the elements, which the Tour de Suisse jury took issue with.
There's a heatwave sweeping through Europe at the moment, with highs of 40ºC expected in some areas in the next couple of days. The time trial stage of the Tour de Suisse (both men's and women's) was endured under unusually toasty conditions for this early in the summer, reaching 30ºC by midday, and with no wind to speak of. Van der Poel had already commented on his struggles in the heat earlier in the Swiss WorldTour race, which is his first appearance since the spring.
