Footage posted online by Eurosport France’s Leunis Jacques shows the moment when one quick-thinking spectator took responsibility for the safety of those competing in the GP de Fourmies. The roadside guardian angel is seen snatching a fallen rider’s bike out of the way a fraction of a second before the arrival of the peloton.
Crashes are rarely more catastrophic than in the closing kilometres of a bike race when the peloton is moving at full speed. If just one rider falls at the front, any number of people riding behind are also likely to suffer.
In the video, a rider in a small escape group falls with just 1.5km to go and his bike bounces around before coming to rest in the middle of the road where a large peloton is rapidly bearing down on it. Fortunately, a roadside spectator takes action, swooping on it and dragging it to the grass verge just moments before the riders arrive.
VIDÉO L'incroyable réflexe d'un spectateur qui évite un carnage au #GPFourmies #Bravo #lesRP @EurosportFrance pic.twitter.com/kz55849pBn
— Leunis Jacques (@JacquesLeunis) September 6, 2015
This year’s GP de Fourmies was won by Fabio Felline of Trek Factory Racing. Tom Boonen came second with Nacer Bouhanni third.

8 thoughts on “Video: Roadside guardian angel prevents mass pile-up in pro bike race”
They should give him the bike
They should give him the bike for that heroic display
Yikes that was lucky. The
Yikes that was lucky. The peloton were splitting to try and go either side of the bike. Had he pulled the bike away fractionally slower it would’ve brought down the whole of the left hand split.
Better not to leave it there
Better not to leave it there though.
+1 for the give him the bike
+1 for the give him the bike
The force is strong with this
The force is strong with this one! See how he anticipates riders from the first group coming his way onto the verge just before he grabs the bike!
Right place + Right time =
Right place + Right time = Hero
thumbs up for the super quick
thumbs up for the super quick thinking of the spectator
Hope he’s proud of himself for that quick action
Good lad. Tight that..
Good lad. Tight that..