Look but don’t touch 🤬 🇸🇮 Tadej Pogacar faced some obstacles during his search for a sixth Giro d’Italia stage win, and they weren’t his competitors! 😳 #CouchPeloton #Cycling #GirodItalia
"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
CyclingTuesday, 18 June 2024 at 15:42
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 48490
Just in
Popular news
Latest comments
- Thanks Dadmobk22-12-2024
- Hard to believe with the advancment of modern medicine he can not find a cause for this.frieders321-12-2024
- You continue to platform these two cheats. With that in mind I can no longer use your site. I know my leaving means little, but, sometimes you have to take a stand. See ya!DJ21-12-2024
- Look at what Froome’s won since his last TdF, stop denying there is still more than possible one outcome to the future.Mistermaumau21-12-2024
- Bruyneel understands nothing about clean competition.Sweep21-12-2024
- Exactly. Remco won 3 WT races/stages last year compared to Pogocar's 19. Remco's single stage win in last years TdF earned him a meager 12 seconds over Pogocar who shellac'd him by 9 minutes in GC.Sweep21-12-2024
- Fortunately and as you point out, more than one strategy is possible and worth trying and I’m sure all concerned riders are well informed and counselled on this subject and don’t need such basic personal advice through media from an outsider.Mistermaumau21-12-2024
- The main SPOTY award is "decided" by public vote but the BBC "expert panel" decide who you can choose from, that choice has an equal split of genders and is focussed on the sports BBC show and a disabled athlete. Oh yea the ubiquitous "Pub Games" candidate there too, Darts and Snooker are not sports. The other awards are decided by the "Expert Panel" again it's about the sports BBC show, cycling has had it. Cav got his for his years and achievements in the sport, not just that 35th TDF win. Unless the BBC get access to Pro Cycling it will never feature "adequately" on SPOTYslappers6621-12-2024
- Ahhh..... you have to understand the "strange" diversity concepts of the BBCslappers6621-12-2024
- Avoiding him is a good strategy, you get more wins and then you can compete in the TDF relatively relaxed. Pit yourself against Pogi and not only there will be no wins, it will be considerable mental setbackabstractengineer21-12-2024