Mihkels and Thijssen pulled from Tour of Guangxi over racist photo

Two Intermarché-Circus-Wanty riders have been withdrawn from the upcoming Gree-Tour of Guangxi after one made a racist gesture and the other published it on social media.

Madis Mihkels, the 20-year-old Estonian was pictured performing a slanted eyes gesture with his fingers, and laughing, a day before the start of the final men’s WorldTour race of the season.

The photo was uploaded to Instagram Stories by his teammate Gerben Thijssen, the Belgian sprinter who was set to lead the team on the flat stages in China.

Initially, Intermarché-Circus-Wanty released a statement condemning and withdrawing only Mihkels, but an hour later this was updated to also include Thijssen.

“We sincerely regret the behaviour of our rider Madis Mihkels and Gerben Thijssen and the images shown on social media,” read the statement.

“We would like to apologise to the Chinese people and fans, to the Government of Guangxi, to the Chinese cycling association, and all parties involved in the organisation of Tour of Guangxi for the image given of our sport.

“Forever, our team Intermarché-Circus-Wanty, composed of more than 15 nationalities in our project, and our partners always defend firmly equal opportunities and fight against daily racism.

“We will withdraw Madis Mihkels and Gerben Thijssen from the race and take the necessary disciplinary steps to close this incident.”

It is unclear what those disciplinary steps may be, but Team Sky suspended Gianni Moscon for six weeks in 2017 after the Italian racially abused fellow rider Kevin Reza. The UCI may also wish to investigate and is able to take action against the riders involved.

The Tour of Guangxi begins on Thursday, with Intermarché-Circus-Wanty lining up with five riders: Sven Erik Bystrøm, Rune Herregodts, Julius Johansen, Adrien Petit, and Laurenz Rex.