The final stage of the Tour Down Under delivered more than just racing drama…it featured an unusual hazard. The danger? A couple of kangaroos. With 95 km left, the marsupials leapt from the roadside bushes and into the path of the peloton. It caused a chaotic scene that left several riders on the asphalt, including race leader Jay Vine.
Vine quickly swapped bikes and made his way back into the main group, eventually taking his second Tour Down Under title. “People always ask me what the most dangerous thing in Australia is,” Vine told ABC Australia after the stage. “I tell them it’s kangaroos. They wait until it’s too late to stop.”
Kangaroo course
Video footage showed two separate kangaroo incidents during the 170-km stage. After the stage riders said the animals seemed to just throwing themselves into the pack.
While the peloton scattered temporarily, the race went on. Matthew Brennan of Visma–Lease a Bike ultimately sprinted to the stage win, while Vine finished safely in 26th position.
The kangaroo encounter had more serious consequences off the road. One animal escaped unharmed, but the other suffered a broken leg and the poor guy was euthanized. Aussie veterinarians determined recovery–and survival–in the wild would be impossible.
Following the race, UAE Team Emirates shared a medical update on Vine. According to Dr. Adrian Rotunno, the team’s Medical Director:
“After the race, Jay reported pain in his wrist from his crash during the final stage. Medical review revealed a significant left wrist scaphoid fracture. He underwent successful surgery on Tuesday morning. He will be withdrawn from competition for post-op recovery and rehabilitation.”
Vine also recounted the surreal split-second decisions required as the kangaroo zig-zagged across the road:
“It waited in the bushes until you couldn’t stop, then jumped out. One stopped, went left, right, left, right — and I ended up hitting its backside. Bad luck, but I was lucky to be OK,” he said.
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