The UCI has asked the organizers of the E3 Harelbeke to remove its WorldTour logo from a banner that has sparked criticism around the world.

According to Het Nieuwsblad, the race committee held an emergency meeting recently to discuss reactions to the advertisement, which made light of inappropriate groping of podium hostesses.

"We have received a call from the UCI. They asked for their logo to be removed from the banner. They do not want to be associated with the campaign," E3 Harelbeke communications manager Jacques Coussens said. "We're going to change the banner and remove the logo. The printer has been informed. Thankfully the thirty banners that will hang in the center of Harelbeke were not yet printed."

The UCI issued a statement today stating that they have requested that the organizers remove the offending banner entirely. "The Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) was extremely unhappy with the promotional poster of the 2015 E3 Harelbeke," a statement read. "We have reminded the organiser of its responsibility and the UCI Regulations and they have agreed to take off the poster from all communication platforms."