Disqualified for hitting another cyclist during the race. The NSN Cycling Team apologizes and temporarily suspends Kiaan Watts

The NSN Cycling Team, an organization linked to Andrés Iniesta, has been embroiled in controversy after one of its riders was involved in a violent incident during a race in the Netherlands. The team has reacted swiftly and has decided to impose an internal sanction while evaluating possible additional consequences.

NSN Temporarily Suspends Kiaan Watts After Punching Another Cyclist During Race

The Dutch race Ster van Zwolle left an unusual scene in professional cycling this weekend. In the midst of a tense phase of the race, New Zealander Kiaan Watts, a member of the NSN Cycling Team's development program, was caught on television cameras hitting a rider from the BEAT Cycling Club p/b Saxo.

The footage shows the moment when the peloton was riding at the front of the race with strong tension and movements caused by the wind, a typical context for the formation of echelons. At that moment, Watts threw a punch at another rider, an action that was recorded by the broadcast and quickly began to circulate on social media.

Kiaan Watts (NSN devo) was disqualified by the commissioners this Saturday at Ster van Zwolle (1.2). pic.twitter.com/ZPbcqZKi4w

— O País Do Ciclismo (@opaisdociclismo) March 7, 2026

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After the incident, the commissioners decided to immediately disqualify the cyclist, while the team itself issued an official statement condemning the rider's behavior. In it, the organization linked to Iniesta expressed its regret for what happened and extended apologies to the affected rider, the BEAT team, as well as to the race organizers and the UCI commissioners.

As a first disciplinary measure, the team decided to withdraw Watts from the Dorpenomloop Rucphen, the race he was scheduled to compete in the following day, with the aim of allowing the cyclist to reflect on what happened and the consequences of his conduct.

For now, the UCI has not communicated any additional sanctions, so the punishment is limited to the disqualification in the Ster van Zwolle and the temporary suspension imposed by his own team.

The case has generated numerous reactions on social media, where many fans have called for more stringent measures. Such behaviors are extremely rare in road cycling, a sport where physical incidents between riders are very uncommon even in the most tense moments within the peloton.