Viral ‘sticky bottle’ incident at E3 Saxo Classic sparks apology from Visma | Lease a Bike

The clip, which went viral during the finale of the race and triggered a wave of angry reactions on social media, shows Zingle holding onto the door of a team car and being accelerated back toward the peloton after suffering a puncture. Though the so called sticky bottle tactic is no secret in professional cycling, the execution in this case was unusually blatant and quickly drew scrutiny from fans and officials alike.

Race organisers responded swiftly, disqualifying Zingle during the event. The situation became even more notable when it emerged that the car involved was being driven by team boss Richard Plugge, according to Sporza. As a licensed directeur sportif, Plugge is permitted to drive in races, but he could now face disciplinary measures, potentially including a yellow card.

Speaking after the race, sports director Maarten Wynants acknowledged the seriousness of the situation to Sporza. “We received a message with about 10 kilometers to go that Zingle had been taken out of the race,” he said. “At first we did not know what had happened, but later we heard there were images of him holding onto the car.”

The team did not attempt to deflect responsibility. Wynants continued, “We regret the incident. This does not contribute to the image of cycling. It happened in the background after a puncture and it did not influence the result, but it should not have happened.”

It is not the first time riders and teams have come under fire once such moments are caught on camera. Last summer during the Tour de France, Lenny Martinez faced heavy criticism after being seen holding onto a team car for an extended period, footage that quickly spread online.

Visma | Lease a Bike reiterated its stance with a clear acknowledgment of fault. “Once again, we regret the incident and we take responsibility,” he said. “The fact that something happens more often in cycling does not give us the right to do it as well.”