A climate protester sat down in the middle of the cobblestone sector in front of an oncoming peloton at the Ronde Van Brugge on Wednesday.
The protester, wearing a white t-shirt with the message 'kids dying by the climate crisis in 3,2,1...' jumped up and out of the way at the very last moment.
It would appear, however, that the incident did result in a crash. Defending champion Juan Sebastian Molano (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) hit the deck and was seen remonstrating with a race official, who had stopped and parked his motorbike by the side of the road.
The official had apparently stopped to deal with the protester at the side of the road and it appears that Molano collided with the motorbike or crashed avoiding it.
Even before the riders reached the protestor, there was a crash, with a bump of shoulders on the narrow sector sending a Decathlon CMA CGM rider out into the grass, which can be seen in the photo at the top of this page.
Protests have been a regular occurrence in pro cycling races over the years, with climate protestors accounting for a number of notable disruptions to races. At the 2022 Tour de France climate activists had to be dragged off the road by policemen and even race officials, while protestors glued themselves to the road at the 2023 UCI Road World Championships.
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