A French cyclist was fined the equivalent of $233 for briefly stopping to kiss his wife while racing in the famed Tour de France — and said it was worth every cent.
Julien Bernard was hit with the penalty by the International Cycling Union, which said it was imposed for "unseemly or inappropriate behavior during the race and damage to the image of the sport," the Cycling News website reported Friday.
The public display of affection took place 15 minutes into Friday's time-trial seventh stage of the Tour de France in Bernard's home region of Burgundy, according to Reuters.
A video camera caught the action as Bernard rode through a crowd of cheering fans, many of whom waved signs that said "Come on JB!" in French.
After waving to his supporters, Bernard spotted his wife holding their young son.
He headed straight for them and came to a stop as she threw her free arm around his neck and they kissed each other.
After being fined, Bernard offered a cheeky apology to the Switzerland based International Cycling Union, known as the UCI.
"I'm sorry UCI for damaging the image of the sport," he wrote on X. "But I'm willing to pay 200 Swiss francs every day and experience this moment again."
The cyclist also told a TV interviewer that his wife spent several weeks organizing the rally of supporters "and she did a really, really good job."
"On a time trial, you have time to enjoy yourself. It's these moments that keep me going and cycling," he said.
