Cycling star kicked out of race over 'disgusting' photo

Iljo Keisse has been kicked out of the Vuelta a San Juan and fined by police after sexually harassing a waitress during the race in Argentina.

The Belgian cyclist landed himself in hot water after he was photographed mimicking a sex act while standing behind the woman.

The woman spoke to local media about the moment she realised what had happened.

“They made an order. I did not know the Vuelta a San Juan was there and they explained what they were doing, that they were coming to compete,” she told local paper Telesoldiario.

“I asked for a photo and I felt they encouraged me.

“I thought it was an accident, but later I realised that it wasn’t an accident.”

She immediately filed a police complaint after seeing the photo.

“They disrespected me; I was working… I hope that at least they sanction him or call him attention for doing what he did.”

Keisse later apologised after being fined 3000 pesos, about $217.

Race organisers have since kicked him out of the event, leading to the manager of his Deceuninck-Quick Step team threatening to pull the entire team out.

“If it were up to me, the whole team would leave the Vuelta a San Juan,” Patrick Lefevere told Belgian newspaper Het Laatste Nieuws.

“We are reviewing what the UCI regulations say, and then we will quickly decide whether we will start or not.”

Social media users have slammed Keisse.