Iljo Keisse reported to police at Vuelta a San Juan after miming sex act while posing for picture with fan
The woman said she felt 'disrespected and worthless' after asking for a photo with the Deceuninck – Quick-Step riders
Iljo Keisse has been reported to police by a fan after he mimed a sex act while posing for a picture.
The Deceuninck – Quick-Step pro and team-mates were approached by café worker who asked for a picture ahead of the Vuelta a San Juan in Argentina.
While posing with the fan Keisse allegedly brushed his genitals against her and appeared to mime a sex act, according to Argentinian newspaper Telesol Diario.
>>> ‘I made a mistake’: Iljo Keisse apologises for miming sex act in photo with female fan
The woman, who spoke out on the condition of anonymity, told the newspaper: “I thought it was an accident, but I later realised that it was not like that.
“I am very angry. They disrespected me – I was working.
“They can not come to another country and treat women as things, as something insignificant and worthless.
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“I hope that at least they sanction him or call attention to what he did.”
The fan added that her partner witnessed the incident and that she has spoken to lawyers about the next step.
She said she heard the team members laughing but didn’t realise why until after the incident.
Keisse and his Quick-Step team-mates were out on a training riding in Argentina on Friday (January 25) when the woman asked for a picture.
The photo shows the woman posing with the group of riders from the Belgian WorldTour team, with one raising two fingers above her head while Keisse is posed behind her with one arm raised behind his head.
The story emerged in the Argentinian press on Monday (January 28) and was quickly picked up by European media.
A spokesperson for Deceuninck – Quick-Step told Belgian newspaper Het Laatste Nieuws: “Iljo has explained and apologised deeply.
“The pose was meant as a joke, but now he feels very bad about it.
“The case remains without consequences after he apologised.”
Cycling Weekly has approached Deceuninck – Quick-Step for comment.
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Alex Ballinger is editor of BikeBiz magazine, the leading publication for the UK cycle industry, and is the former digital news editor for CyclingWeekly.com. After gaining experience in local newsrooms, national newspapers and in digital journalism, Alex found his calling in cycling, first as a reporter, then as news editor responsible for Cycling Weekly's online news output, and now as the editor of BikeBiz. Since pro cycling first captured his heart during the 2010 Tour de France (specifically the Contador-Schleck battle) Alex covered three Tours de France, multiple editions of the Tour of Britain, and the World Championships, while both writing and video presenting for Cycling Weekly. He also specialises in fitness writing, often throwing himself into the deep end to help readers improve their own power numbers. Away from the desk, Alex can be found racing time trials, riding BMX and mountain bikes, or exploring off-road on his gravel bike. He’s also an avid gamer, and can usually be found buried in an eclectic selection of books.
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