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Video: Riders forced to dodge dog at cyclo-cross race in Belgium

Canine’s intervention didn’t stop Mathieu van der Poel getting back into winning ways

Riders at a cyclocross race in Belgium had to dodge a dog after it somehow got onto the course, trailing its leash behind it.

The incident happened today at the Druivencross race in the town of Overijse, which lies just to the south east of the capital, Brussels.

The front pair, including Mathieu van der Poel in the rainbow bands of world champion, had already crossed the finish line to begin a new lap when the stray animal began chasing after them.

The following riders had to swerve to avoid the animal, with one even forced to come to a halt as marshals and race officials tried to catch the canine.

Victory went to van der Poel, who was back to winning days after yesterday losing a cyclo-cross race for the first time in more than a year as Toon Aerts won the Hotondcross.

Previous incidents involving dogs getting among the riders at bike races include one at the 2012 Tour de France in which a Pyrenean mountain dog got away from its owners and caused a crash in the peloton.

Video footage showed Philippe Gilbert berating the dog’s owners afterwards in no uncertain terms over their failure to control it.

Simon joined road.cc as news editor in 2009 and is now the site’s community editor, acting as a link between the team producing the content and our readers. A law and languages graduate, published translator and former retail analyst, he has reported on issues as diverse as cycling-related court cases, anti-doping investigations, the latest developments in the bike industry and the sport’s biggest races. Now back in London full-time after 15 years living in Oxford and Cambridge, he loves cycling along the Thames but misses having his former riding buddy, Elodie the miniature schnauzer, in the basket in front of him.

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6 comments

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Liam Cahill | 4 years ago
1 like

Looks like a crossbreed to me...

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ErnieC | 4 years ago
0 likes

That could have ended quite badly. Some pet owners are in dire need of training. 

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antigee | 4 years ago
1 like

not my local council but adjacent and down under (hence the odd looking weed)...telling it like it is on  a shared path 

 

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hawkinspeter | 4 years ago
3 likes

I'm surprised they didn't paws the race.

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OldRidgeback | 4 years ago
0 likes

If that was my whippet he'd be way ahead of the riders. Me and my youngest sometimes cycle with the dog and he loves trotting alongside us. We've ridden round our club BMX track with him too and he seems to delight in making the jumps. Normal commuting speed on a bicycle is an easy trot for a sight hound.

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PRSboy | 4 years ago
1 like

Looks like he wanted to take part in the lead-out.

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