Eli Iserbyt faced numerous obstacles during his pursuit of a double win in the 2023-2024 UCI World Cup on Sunday, and among them were a pair of nonchalant geese on the course.
In the sixth round held in Flamanville, France, Iserbyt overtook the race leader, Pim Ronhaar, ultimately surpassing the Dutchman to secure the triumph. This victory further extended Iserbyt’s dominance at the top of the overall standings. As Iserbyt chased down Ronhaar (who also narrowly avoided the geese) he barely missed them as he came through.
Birds of a feather
The birds didn’t seem to care that they were blocking the path for the pros. They remained in the apex of the corner when Joris Nieuwenhuis and Lars van der Haar came through, just behind Iserbyt. Van der Haar had the sketchiest moment when the winged creature decided it was no longer game to be an obstacle. Van der Haar just avoided one of the birds as it decided to fly back off course.
Horses, dogs, bears, oh my!
Animals accidentally interfering in races is nothing new. In March, Demi Vollering narrowly avoided a crash when a horse appeared on the course. In the 2017 Tirreno–Adriatico time trial, Peter Sagan narrowly averted a potential disaster when a pedestrian with their dog unexpectedly ventured onto the road directly in his path.
The most important Strade Bianche post-race news: How is the poor horse?
In the 2016 Giro d’Italia, a duo of horses raced alongside the peloton as it sped down a twisting and challenging descent. Experts believe the horses can get agitated from both the caravan before and after the peloton, as well as television helicopters that may rattle the equines.
Horse on course: 13 and a half times animals disrupted the pro peloton
Although there are plenty of times when horses, dogs, and even a bear (sort of) have disrupted races, it’s not often you see birds getting in the way of events. Check out the ducked-up moment below.
— Cycling out of context (@OutOfCycling) December 3, 2023
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