Someone found footage of Victor Campenaerts peeing in a bottle at the Tour de France

Ah, the Internet, what would we do without you?

On the popular subreddit, r/pelotonmemes, an eagle-eyed cycling fan found some incredible footage of Victor Campenaerts, who was then riding on Lotto, now on Visma-Lease a Bike, filling up a bottle and chucking it at the Tour de France in 2024. Well, first he jokingly offered it to an EF rider, who politely declined. Then the Belgian throws it to the side of the road. Oh, that poor spectator would have been so thrilled to get a souvenir…and then so grossed out when they realized the keepsake was a bidon jaune.

All of us serious cycling journalists and social media experts have been discussing the whole peeing in a bottle thing for days. Because what else is there to talk about, right?

The whole pee thing

It all began after Stage 9 when Giro organizers issued an unusual reminder that relieving yourself into a bottle and tossing it aside is now firmly not allowed.

A deep dive into the ‘icky bottle’ phenomenon at the Giro

“To respect the image of cycling and the Giro d’Italia, the organizer and the Commissaires’ Panel inform all riders that urinating into a bottle and subsequently discarding it is strictly prohibited.”

Sporza spoke to several riders, all of whom agreed it was hardly widespread. One of the early riders to create toxic tumblers was apparently multiple world champion Peter Sagan. He’s retired now, so he can’t do that anymore. But others mentioned Campenaerts. He actually ended up confessing that he does do it, and for sound reasons. At the big races, there simply aren’t many “safe” spots — as in where the roads aren’t lined with spectators — to pee off the bike. So instead, he discreetly whizzes into the bottle and then proceeds to throw it to said spectators.  God, just imagine the surprise when you get the collector’s item and then…

Anyway, check out redditor paddockpaddle doing their best Woodward and Bernstein impression by locating some primetime footage below. According to paddockpaddle, it’s from Stage 11. He’s mid-frame with the red Lotto kit and teal Dstny helmet. (And also the guy pissing in a water bottle.)

Archival Footage: The First Documented Instance of the ‘Pee-Bidon’ in Modern Professional Cycling
by
u/paddockpaddle in
pelotonmemes