NSN Development rider disqualified and pulled from next race after punching another rider at Ster van Zwolle

QUAREGNON, BELGIUM - MARCH 03: A general view of Hugo Hofstetter of France, Oded Kogut of Israel, Kiaan Watts of New Zealand, Miko Pirinen of Finland, Floris Van Tricht of Belgium, Jens Verbrugghe of Belgium, Tom Van Asbroeck of Belgium and Team NSN Cycling prior to the 58th Ename Samyn Classic 2026 - Men's Elite a 203.8km one day race from Quaregnon to Dour on March 03, 2026 in Quaregnon, Belgium. (Photo by Luc Claessen/Getty Images).

The NSN Development Team have pulled one off their riders, Kiaan Watts, out of competition after the New Zealander punched a fellow rider in the head at the Salverda Bouw Ster van Zwolle race on Saturday. 

In a move that was caught on camera, Watts lifted his right arm and hit out at the head of Marijn Maas from the BEAT CC p/b Saxo team, as the pair were riding at the front of the bunch with 33km to go.