Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale rider Johannes Staune-Mittet has been fined €200 for riding while wearing headphones in Spain.
The Norwegian received the fine from Spain’s Ministry of the Interior on Monday morning, while training in the province of Alicante, on the country’s east coast.
According to Spanish traffic regulations, it is against the law to drive or cycle using in-ear or over-ear headphones, due to concerns that they reduce the user’s road awareness.
Posting his fine on Strava, Staune-Mittet wrote: “Guess it is better to buy a pair of those ugly out of ear headphones than to get fined for airpods every day.”
The 23-year-old also shared a video of his fine, showing the sum of €200, reduced to €100 if he pays it within 20 days.
The specific infringement he was said to have committed was ‘driving with headphones or earphones connected to sound receivers or players’.
This falls under article 13.3 of the ‘Reglamento General de Circulación’ – General Traffic Regulations – which states: “It is prohibited to drive while wearing any type of audio headphones or earphones connected to sound receivers or players or other devices that reduce constant attention to driving, except when taking open circuit aptitude tests to obtain a driver’s licence under the terms determined by the regulations.”
The infringement also relates to article 18.2, which similarly states: “It is prohibited to drive while wearing headphones or earphones connected to audio devices, except during driving lessons and open-circuit aptitude tests for obtaining a motorcycle license, when required by the General Traffic Regulations.”
Staune-Mittet joined Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale at the start of 2025 after spending four years with Visma-Lease a Bike, three of which with the Dutch team’s development squad.
In 2023, then aged 21, the Norwegian won the Giro Next Gen, an under-23 version of the Giro d’Italia, announcing himself as one of the most promising riders in the world.
His only career pro win came later that year at the Czech Tour, where he beat Red Bull-Bora-hansgrohe’s Florian Lipowitz in an uphill finish.
Staune-Mittet is under contract with Decathlon until the end of 2027. The team will go by Decathlon CMA CGM from next season, following a change in sponsorship.
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