On Monday, in the finale of the first stage of the Tour du Pologne, there was some drama. A man leapt over the barriers just as the bunch sprint was about to happen. Initially, it appeared he was a fan trying to grab a sweater, as it first seemed, but it was actually something else left on the road.
In the final moments of Tuesday’s stage in Legnica, with the peloton barreling toward the finish and Dutch sprinter Olav Kooij launching his winning effort, the man scrambled onto the course, carefully bent down to pick up the forgotten item, then hurried back over the fence just in time.
And naturally, the whole bizarre moment was caught live on TV.
Upon closer look, many commenters realized it could be something else. The man had a badge — and many said it was confirmed through the organizers that he was, in fact, with the Tour du Pologne team. Moreover, he wasn’t simply grabbing a sweater — he was cleaning up some liquid that had spilled just before the line. The man was trying to make sure the finish was clear for the riders.
It was still a sketchy moment — he jumped over and back just in time. You can hear the TNT commentator yell, “He saved the race!” It wasn’t the first weird thing in the stage. Earlier on that day, a dog briefly ran onto the course. Thankfully, neither the dog nor the riders were hurt.
The race has a… history of weird things happening. In 2023, a couple of sketchy events took place. A motorcycle drove into spectators, resulting in the race getting neutralized. Another time, when a rider from the now-defunct Human Powered Health team stopped to get a bike change, two drivers who weren’t paying attention crashed into the car.
Currently, Paul Lapeira (Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale Team) leads the race. There are two Canadian racers: Pier-André Côté (Israel – Premier Tech), who is 59th overall, and Ineos Grenadiers’ Michael Leonard, who is 63rd overall. The 7-day stage race wraps up Sunday with a short and fast time trial — something perfect for Oakville, Ont.’s Leonard. You can watch it all on FloBikes.com.
Affiliate links present. Canadian Cycling Magazine may receive commissions
Click Here to Read the Full Original Article at Canadian Cycling Magazine…