French pro Alexandre Geniez given four-month suspended sentence for domestic violence

French professional cyclist Alexandre Geniez has been handed a four-month suspended sentence after being convicted of domestic abuse against his ex-wife.

Prosecutors had requested that the TotalEnergies rider be given a a six-month suspended prison sentence related to allegations of regular domestic violence beginning in February 2020, which Geniez denied in court.

Geniez's ex-wife Lucie Garrigues reported the violence to police in Rodez last November, accusing him of physical abuse. The pair were together from 2013 to 2020, and she is the mother of their two children.

In January, Garrigues told the court that Geniez had thrown a phone at her on 7 November, saying to her: "You will understand – you will see what happens to you". A violent outburst on 17 November left her with a haematoma to her forehead, and she missed a day of work as a result.

"I wonder what would have happened to me if my daughter hadn't been in the hallway when he took my arm," Garrigues recalled in court, saying Geniez told her: "I'm going to smash you."

Garrigues is an architect and was working on projects with her husband. "The bike didn't ruin our lives. It's his real estate plans," she said.

"We recognise the threats, but we contest the physical violence," Geniez's lawyers told the court. "Mrs Garrigues always avoids discussions, she never wanted to leave when the relationship was toxic," which upon hearing Garrigues is said to have broken down in tears.

Audio recordings of Geniez's threats and the cries of Garrigues were used in the evidence against him.

Geniez has raced professionally since 2010, mostly for French teams, joining TotalEnergies from Ag2r La Mondiale in 2021. He is set to retire at the end of the year.

While the case was being heard, the Frenchman continued racing. He finished 8th overall at the Saudi Tour, and won two stages at the Tour du Rwanda. 

TotalEnergies are yet to respond, and last week celebrated his victories in Rwanda on social media.