Woman narrowly avoids surging peloton - Watch the moment dramatic near miss almost spells disaster at Tour of Britain
Cycling
The Tour of Britain is in full flow as Tim Merlier and Olav Kooij traded victories in recent stages. However, things could have been totally different as footage has emerged of a woman narrowly missing a surging peloton after crossing the road.
In the video, a woman is seen pulling a cart across the road with spectators and barriers either side. She stops while still on the road, facing away from riders.
In a narrow miss, she reaches the edge of the road just as a motor bike passes and the peloton flies through the shot, riding at high speed. The incident reportedly took place inside the final kilometer of stage 2, after Merlier and the leaders had passed that point.
No crash was reported as a result of the incident, but the tense moment could have resulted in a crash, endangering both the spectator and riders while racing in the final kilometer.
Can’t believe what happened today at Tour of Britain 🫣
— Lukáš Ronald Lukács (@lucxsronald) September 4, 2026
Captured by Barry Robinson, thank you 🙏🏼 #TourofBritain pic.twitter.com/M9sxzif7kG
Merlier and Kooij trade stage wins at Tour of Britain
Meanwhile, Olav Kooij took the victory on Friday, besting Tim Merlier in a sprint to the line as he responded to Merlier's win on stage 2.
After almost 200 kilometres from Hull and a succession of attacks during the closing circuits, the race ultimately came back together for the expected showdown between the fast men.
Soudal - Quick-Step positioned Merlier behind Jasper Stuyven approaching the final kilometre, but it was Kooij who launched his sprint in the closing 100 metres and powered to the victory.
Olav Kooij
Merlier second after Skegness win
Merlier had to settle for second one day after winning in Skegness, while Lucky Sport Cycling Team's Kallberg produced the biggest surprise of the finale by taking third. Timothy Dupont finished fourth and Matteo Moschetti completed the top five.
Earlier in the day, mountains leader Michal Schuran had swept maximum points on all three categorised climbs at Burton Road, Tire Ewe Hill and Keepers Hill after joining the original six-man escape.
Kooij ultimately emerged from the changing race with the stage win, reversing the order from Skegness where Merlier had beaten him into second 24 hours earlier.
Gavin QuinnCycling Journalist
Gavin Quinn is a cycling journalist and ultra-distance cyclist with a BA in Journalism from Dublin City University. Formerly the Press & Communications Officer for Cycling Ireland, Gavin has worked inside the national team at the World Championships and has reported for the Irish Mirror, Mirror UK, and The42.
His expertise is backed by elite-level access, having interviewed stars like Sam Bennett and Ben Healy, as well as immense personal endurance. In 2025, he completed a 12,000km solo cycle from Ireland to Vietnam, following a 4,600km tour across Europe. From the cobbles of Paris-Roubaix to the gradients of the Tourmalet, Gavin’s writing focuses on the "romance and brutality" of the sport. Having visited 50+ countries, he brings a global, cultural perspective to his coverage of the pro peloton for CyclingUpToDate.
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