Another week, another long-range Tadej Pogačar destruction of a major bike race — however, it was the behaviour of several roadside spectators that got plenty of people talking online, the world champion seen riding past a ‘fan’ with their backside on full display and others putting stickers on the rainbow jersey.
Pogačar added the European road race crown to his World Championship victory of last weekend, the all-conquering star of the sport making the first appearance of his second year in the famous rainbow bands. However, with 40km to go his jersey was the target as roadside spectators were seen putting stickers on his back, seconds after another person had pulled his trousers down in front of the UAE Team Emirates climber.
The incident did not appear to affect Pogačar, who finished 31 seconds ahead of Remco Evenepoel, third-placed French hopeful Paul Seixas way back at 3:41 on the roads of the Drôme-Ardèche.
One week, two crowns 👑
Europe and the worlds belong to Tadej Pogacar 🇪🇺🌈🫡 pic.twitter.com/C6AyRdeczJ
— Cycling on TNT Sports (@cyclingontnt) October 5, 2025
The message of the stickers is unclear, although we definitely need no further details or closer inspection in the case of the spectator who decided to greet the world champion by pulling down his trousers and baring his backside to Pogačar and cycling fans watching at home.
“This is weird,” said TNT Sports commentator José Been. “Don’t do this, people. This is stupid.”
By the finish only one rider was within three minutes of the new European champion, although Pogačar was keen to downplay how dominant he was.
“I found myself in the front,” he told the TV interview afterwards. “I tried to keep a good gap of around one minute, I know it’s a comfortable gap. I don’t think it was super dominant as Remco was really good and always chasing me. I couldn’t give up until the finish line and had to push really hard. I’m happy it’s over and another title.
“We knew that the race would be the hardest on the third climb, I saw there was four or five Belgians, and I was alone for the team. It was better to be on the attack than with too many guys who can attack you.”
In Saturday’s women’s race the spectators were thankfully better behaved, Demi Vollering riding to an impressive solo victory ahead of Kasia Niewiadoma and Dutch teammate Anna van der Breggen.
19 thoughts on ““This is stupid”: Tadej Pogačar dodges bare-arsed spectator and has stickers put on his back during European Championships win”
“the world champion seen
“the world champion seen riding past a ‘fan’ with their backside on full display”
In Scotland, he’d be decribed by the less-PC ‘fanny’.
And the TNT headline should be “One week, two clowns”.
Honestly, these idiots risk ruining the sport both for real fans and, more crucially, for the riders whose results, safety and whole careers can be put at risk. The full moon may carry minimal risk, but what if a rider swerved because that clown moved in front of them at the last moment?
Cayo wrote:
Is happening far too much of late – idiots, protestors, clowns and occasionally TV Moto’s causing havoc and endangering riders.
ErnieC wrote:
Sadly it’s not just of late, there’s been twattery from a minority at least ever since I started watching in the ’80s, I well remember Stephen Roche talking about a stage of the Giro in ’87 when the Italian fans would fill their mouths with sticky rice salad and red wine and spit it over him as he passed, and further back remember Eddy got punched more than once when trying to race.
My solution, for what it’s worth, would be for the police to have a specialist team monitoring the TV coverage and then radioing a description and location of the worst offenders to the officers at the roadside and on the motos for arrest and subsequent charge.
As David Niven memorably
As David Niven memorably adlibbed when a streaker interrupted him presenting the Oscars, “Isn’t it fascinating to think that probably the only laugh that man will ever get in his life is by stripping off and showing his shortcomings?”
A good race and a fine win.
A good race and a fine win. Thé only downside was listening to thé demented chauvinism of thé French commentators on Équipe TV (even Pierre Rolland) when Paul Seixas was coming third.
The French seem to be
The French seem to be hellbent on showing themselves as unsporting – the partisan crowd behaviour at the olympics was extremely poor – particularly in the men’s mountain biking where they were booing Tom Pidcock.
Quote:
“Kick me!”
Perhaps it was drink or more
Perhaps it was drink or more likely the’joy’ of appearing on social media.
Wonder how TP keeps motivated
Wonder how TP keeps motivated 🤔 when know 1 can beat him…
leedorney wrote:
World Time Trial champion?
ErnieC wrote:
World Time Trial champion?— leedorney
Can’t really see that happening unless the UCI decide to go bonkers one year and make it a mountaintop finish TT. He probably could win on a standard course if he went all out for it in terms of training for at least a year specifically for it and changing his body shape but would it really be worth it when it would take away much of what makes him so dominant in other races? Never say never where he is concerned of course but…
It would be interesting to
It would be interesting to see what he could achieve with a few months focussed preparation for the world TT. Maybe not going as far as changing his body shape, but missing the TDF.
Tom de Moulin and Chris Froome all managed medals in the World TT in the days when they were Grand Tours winners. Froome is probably the best example of a modern cyclist excelling at both.
The World TT is often a good balance of flat power and lumps, which suits Pogacar.
I think he would almost certainly win a medal, but may not beat Evenepoel – but who knows.
Mr Blackbird wrote:
True, but Dumoulin took his only gold and Froome his only medal in the 2017 edition in Norway which finished with a 3 km 9% climb – could definitely see Pog having a good chance on a course like that but it was quite a rarity.
Rendel Harris wrote:
very true but was also correcting leedorny saying that know 1 can beat him when the current world time trial champion did exactly that – thrashed Pog actually on that course.
Ah I see – I read your
Ah I see – I read your comment as meaning that title, being one of the few he hasn’t claimed, could be one of the things keeping him motivated.
Paris-Roubaix and Milan – San
Paris-Roubaix and Milan – San Remo.
Races he is capable of winning, but not best suited to his breakaway strengths.
‘know 1’?
‘know 1’?
Who on earth writes like this? AI?
It’s time cyclists fought
It’s time cyclists fought back against over excited and aggressive spectators.
It would teach these louts a valuable lesson if Kasia Niewiadoma decided to strike a retaliatory blow for cyclists by exposing her bare bottom on a steep climb in her next televised race.
Mr Blackbird wrote:
I’m off to lie in a dark room…