Giro d’Italia cyclists have been handed a bizarre warning from race organisers regarding teams allowing athletes to urinate into bottles and discarding them along the route.
As the tour winds through the Italian countryside, UCI – cycling’s governing body – and race organisers issued a statement threatening severe penalties for riders caught engaging in this specific form of littering.
“To respect the image of cycling and the Giro d’Italia, the Organiser and the Commissaires’ Panel inform all riders that urinating into a bottle and subsequently discarding it is strictly prohibited.”
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While it remains unconfirmed which specific riders prompted the official warning, penalties for urination and “unseemly behaviour” were heavily enforced in the ninth stage.
The punishments handed out so far have consisted of fines directed at the respective teams. Notably, officials issued a $356 AUD fine to Belgian rider Lennert Van Eetvelt for “urinating in front of the public during the race at km 33.”
The peloton competing during the 109th Giro d’Italia 2026. Getty
According to the UCI rulebook, cyclists are strictly regulated on how they manage their rubbish on the course.
“The rider must safely and exclusively deposit their waste on the sides of the road in the litter zones provided by the organiser,” the rulebook states.
“The rider may not jettison anything on the roadway itself. The rider may also dispose of bottles and clothing to team cars or organisation vehicles or with the team staff in charge of riders’ feeding.”
If a rider is deemed to have disposed of waste “in a careless or dangerous manner”, they can receive a fine of $891 and a penalty of 25 UCI points.