After a nightmare week at Vuelta a San Juan, despite winning two stages and leading the race, Deceuninck-QuickStep has now been forced into a second apology.
Deceuninck-QuickStep has been forced to issue a second apology for the Iljo Keisse incident in Argentina and promised new training for its riders and staff about the values of the team
The move comes after the team was publicly, and embarrassingly, reined in by its new title sponsor Deceuninck.
The company manufactures windows and doors but, clearly conscious of its image, has been active in moving into sustainable materials for its products.
Just yesterday Jérôme De Bruycker, marketing manager Europe at Deceuninck, told cyclingnews it had received a lot of negative comments on social media.
The backlash occurred after Deceuninck-QuickStep rider Iljo Keisse struck a sexualised pose behind the back of a young woman the team was posing with for a photo.
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Deceuninck further said yesterday it had asked for a report on the matter from the team. It also suggested it would work with the team so it and the cycling squad’s values were more aligned.
And now with its new title sponsor speaking out and effectively saying it was taking action and it wanted answers, the team has issued a second apology.
And it has pledged all riders and staff will undergo "specific conduct training protocols for all riders and staff".
It was a big turnaround on comments by team boss Patrick Lefevere 24 hours earlier. He had lashed out at the organisers of the Vuelta a San Juan for taking Keisse out of the race.
He also suggested the young woman who took offence at Keisse’s actions was motivated by money. The statement issued today was by and on behalf of Lefevere “and the entire team”.
It states: “The team would like to make a sincere apology for the events of the past few days, firstly to the woman involved in this regrettable incident, and additionally to all women, fans, and sponsors.
“We don’t condone this type of behaviour. Our team’s core values include mutual respect, and that was not upheld in this situation.
“Iljo also personally acknowledges his mistake and takes full responsibility for his actions.
“As a team, we are aware that one of our main roles is to educate the riders and make sure they demonstrate respect for everyone.
“The events of these past days are something which we can – and already have – learned from.
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“And for that very reason we have decided to implement in the near future specific conduct training protocols for all riders and staff.
"(The training will) ensure our values and make sure this kind of thing won’t happen again. Again, we are very sorry to everyone affected by this regrettable incident.”
The difficulty for the sponsor was not just the incident with Keisse outside a café in San Juan this day last week, but the team’s reaction in the aftermath of that incident.
He was fined by the police and the young woman involved gave an interview to local media and shared the photos of Keisse in a sexualised pose behind her while she couldn’t see him.
After being sanctioned, Keisse then apologised and it appeared that perhaps the incident was closed.
However, the organisers of the Vuelta a San Juan said it wanted Deceuninck-QuickStep to punish Keisse itself and it was giving the team time to do that.
When no news of a punishment emerged from the team, the race organisers removed Keisse from the event after the stage 3 TT.
The team reacted badly. Manager Lefevere then said if it was up to him he would remove the team from the race.
He also suggested the 18-year-old waitress at the centre of the case was looking for money; something she has strongly denied.
And after the fourth stage of San Juan, the team instructed its riders not to attend the podium ceremony.
It meant race leader Julian Alaphilippe, U23 classification leader Remco Evenepoel and Alvaro Hodeg, who was 3rd on the stage, all missed the podium presentation.
And then to make matters worse, a member of Keisse’s family was quoted in the Belgian media saying the woman involved in the incident was “suggestive with her ass” and that perhaps Keisse should take a legal action against her.
That series of events undid much of the good that would have been done if Keisse had apologised and the team stopped commenting any further.
— Deceuninck-QuickStep (@deceuninck_qst) January 31, 2019
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