Protestors are back in cycling - Tour of Bruges defending champion crashes out after road block

The 2026 Tour of Bruges has been won by Dylan Groenewegen in an impressive display of power and form. However it was a race where not all sprinters made it to the finish - some due to the echelons, some due to crashes. But none other than defending champion Juan Sebastián Molano was taken out of the race due to a crash caused by a protestor.

The incident happened with just under 30 kilometers to go, in which the Colombian rider hit the ground, seemingly after colliding with a motorbike that was stopped on the side of the road. There were several vehicles in the area, as right in front of the peloton, a climate activist threatened to block the road. He acted by himself, and was arrested following the incident. That happened as Molano crashed however, causing the UAE Team Emirates - XRG rider to crash - Not UAE's sole rider to crash on the day, as both Jay Vine and Ivo Oliveira hit the deck at the Volta a Catalunya.

Hours after the incident, it has been reported by Het Nieuwsblad that the protestor is a known figure in Bruges: Wouter Mouton; who is said to have already led protests at the Tour of Flanders and Liège-Bastogne-Liège in the past, as well as other non-sports related incidents.

A member of the Bruges police department shared with the Belgian news outlet that "he has been administratively detained, and an investigation is underway to determine if there is a connection between the crash and Wouter Mouton's presence along the course".

The race was heavily affected by the crosswinds but ultimately ended in a bunch sprint. Dylan Groenewegen took the victory, marking a triumphant return to the World Tour wins after two years, and taking Unibet Rose Rockets' first triumph in the top division of cycling. The racing schedule will continue in Belgium over the week with the E3 Saxo Classic this Friday.