"Pogacar said ‘please don’t do it, because it’s an old man” - No charges to be pressed against fan who pushed Tadej Pogacar at Giro d'Italia

Cycling
Tuesday, 18 June 2024 at 15:42
screenshot 496
Whilst Tadej Pogacar's sixth stage win of the 2024 Giro d'Italia was another stunning display of the Slovenian's dominance, there was a moment on controversy as the Maglia Rosa was grabbed by a fan at the roadside on the final climb.
Having just attacked from the general classification group, Pogacar was ascending the slopes of Monte Grappa when a man ran over to the UAE Team Emirates leader and pushed him on the lower back. Although surely without malice and just wanting to help his favourite rider, this could have proved incredibly dangerous and Pogacar responded with visible frustration as he verbally lambasted the fan whilst, waving his arms angrily.
There was some talk that the fan in question could see criminal charges pressed as a result. According to the rider's union CPA boss, Adam Hansen however, this won't be happening on the request of Pogacar himself. “The CPA looked into pressing charges against the Italian but Pogacar said ‘please don’t do it, because it’s an old man,” Hansen told Velo. “Because Pogacar said no, my personal opinion is that we should follow that. We shouldn’t push charges onto a person when riders don’t want to do it.”
Although no charges will be pressed on this occasion, Hansen has again urged supporters who flock in their numbers to the roadside to support the peloton to keep themselves at a safe distance from the riders. “The beauty of the sport is that they can be so close, but on the other hand they have to respect that,” he concludes. “We just have to show a sign to the other spectators, the fans, that they have to leave the cyclists alone, because that is what the cyclists want.”
Sadly this isn't the only such incident in recent months either, with a woman throwing a cap at Mathieu van der Poel's wheels during Paris-Roubaix and Filippo Ganna being struck by a selfie taking fan whilst starting his individual time-trial at the Giro d'Italia.
claps 10visitors 10
6 Comments
User Avatar
AlaskanDaveDownUnder 20 October 2024 at 08:36+ 16

I remember watching on the telly one of the TDF's from the early 2000s. Fan runs alongside riders. Fan stumbles. Fan falls. Following race moto runs over fan.

averagecyclist 04 November 2024 at 01:33+ 238

Do not charge because it is old man, old woman, just a child, it is just a hat thrown, it is just a flare....

... and let's wait for an accident.

Then we can blame organizer for not doing anything to improve safety.

Veganpotter 04 November 2024 at 01:34+ 609

Yup, charge him because he's an idiot. Don't charge him because he's old😅

mobk 12 March 2025 at 08:52+ 1618

Next up: Don’t gas the cyclists with noxious smoke flares?

SteelFrame 16 July 2024 at 21:44+ 1148

I'm just surprised at how fast that old guy could move.

Veganpotter 04 November 2024 at 01:35+ 609

Even the fans take steroids to be tougher fans

Just in

Popular news

Latest comments