VIDEO: Inconsiderate spectator causes a freak accident at a junior race

A Dutch junior Paul Vriesman won't have good memories of 2026 season. Recruited by the highly-respected Decathlon junior programme, the 17-year-old was hoping to prove himself as an upcoming talent in the mountains, but instead faces one setback after another. His first start at Kuurne - Bruxelles - Kuurne Juniors ended up in a crash and nasty injury requiring a three-month pause. And in his return he became victim to a viral incident at LVM Saarland Trofeo!

The entire team of Netherlands spent the week on attack, including Vriesman who was part of a promising reduced group on penultimate stage. However final day of racing had prepared a nasty surprise for Vriesman.

At one of the calmer moments of the race, the peloton had been passing a small village at a rather high speed. All of a sudden, an elder woman on a moped emerged from the crowd, straight in front of the riders. A Danish rider was able to avoid her at last split-second. But Vriesman had no room to react and threw a spectacular somersault. The crash involved few other riders, but fortunately, everybody escaped serious injuries.

LVM Saarland Trofeo is a traditional junior stage race held in Saarland, Germany as part of the Nations Cup series. Across the five stages, an individual time trial of 10 kilometers and a good luck in joining the right breakaway(s) were a key to success.

The Norwegian Sindre Orholm-Lønseth (Vriesman's Decathlon teammate) was the best at both, winning the general classification ahead of Splinter van 't Hoff (Netherlands) and future Visma development team rider Elias Wändel (Sweden).