Axel Zingle (Visma | Lease a Bike) has been disqualified from the E3 Saxo Classic after footage showed the 27-year-old French rider holding onto his team's follow car while recovering from a flat tyre.
Video circulating on X captured Zingle gripping the team vehicle for a sustained period as he was assisted back toward the race. Under UCI regulations, riders are prohibited from receiving moving assistance from a vehicle. Repairs and mechanical support must be carried out while the rider is stationary.
Zingle was listed as disqualified in the official results of the race, which was won by Mathieu van der Poel ahead of Zingle's teammate Per Strand Hagenes.
The disqualification follows a precedent set at the 2023 U23 Giro d'Italia, where 24 riders were disqualified after being caught on video holding onto cars and motorbikes on the ascent of the Passo dello Stelvio.
In that case, each rider received a 100 CHF fine and a 25-point UCI penalty on top of disqualification. Four team staff members were also sanctioned, and the team cars involved were removed from the race.
Whether Zingle or Visma-Lease a Bike face additional penalties beyond the disqualification, such as fines, points deductions, or sanctions against team staff, has not yet been confirmed.
E3 Saxo Classic Results
Harelbeke - Harelbeke • Mar 27 • 204km
| Pos | Rider | Team | Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| 🥇 | Mathieu van der Poel | APCAlpecin-Premier Tech | 4h 45' 15" |
| 🥈 | Per Strand Hagenes | TVLTeam Visma | Lease a Bike | +0:03 |
| 🥉 | Florian Vermeersch | UAEUAE Team Emirates-XRG | +0:03 |
| 4 | Stan Dewulf | DCTDecathlon CMA CGM Team | +0:03 |
| 5 | Jonas Abrahamsen | UXMUno-X Mobility | +0:03 |
| 6 | Tobias Lund Andresen | DCTDecathlon CMA CGM Team | +0:24 |
| 7 | Christophe Laporte | TVLTeam Visma | Lease a Bike | +0:24 |
| 8 | Gianni Vermeersch | RBHRed Bull-BORA-hansgrohe | +0:24 |
| 9 | Mads Pedersen | LTKLidl-Trek | +0:24 |
| 10 | Matteo Trentin | TPCTudor Pro Cycling Team | +0:24 |
