"I thought it might have been Tadej Pogacar" - Pauliena Rooijakkers laughs off controversy after fan in UAE jersey enters course of Liege-Bastogne-Liege Femmes

Kim Le Court made history on Sunday afternoon at Liege-Bastogne-Liege Femmes 2025, becoming the first African Monument winner in the history of the sport. Alongside Le Court's win though, a big talking point from the race was when a fan in a UAE Team Emirates - XRG jersey rode onto the course, just as the fight for the win was starting to heat up.

As the race entered its final 30 kilometres, television cameras caught a fan wearing the UAE Team Emirates jersey sneaking his bike into the middle of the race. Fenix-Deceuninck's Pauliena Rooijakkers had just attacked, and the Dutch star had a nice gap solo, until she suddenly saw someone appear in her wheel.

"Yes, I saw him. I thought it might have been Tadej Pogacar. But no, it wasn't him," Rooijakkers laughed in a post-race interview with Sporza at the finish, able to see the funny side of the incident that has caused much controversy online in the aftermath. "No, it was very strange. I don't know what the intention was."

As mentioned though, not all were quite as relaxed about the whole thing as Rooijakkers. For example, TNT Sports commentary of the race were left in total disbelief at how a fan had been allowed to ride so close to the leading riders in such a big race. "It's not funny, it's not big and it's not clever. This is absolutely ridiculous that you would have a spectator riding alongside the riders. They need to be taken off of the road immediately," fumed the commentary. 

On Eurosport too, people were left far from impressed. "This is just ridiculous," commented a furious Hannah Walker during her coverage of the race. "If you're a fan, stay at the roadside, cheer the riders on and just enjoy the spectacle. Enjoy the entertainment, you are not part of it."