Goats, cobble inspections and the Easter Bunny: this week in cycling's social media

Goats on cobbles — (Image credit: Getty Images)

The news this week - beyond Tadej Pogačar and Demi Vollering's Tour of Flanders victories - has been dominated with small c crime. 54 riders are being investigated for crossing train tracks while a red light was showing during the Flemish race, and people have been stealing cobbles from the Paris-Roubaix course. Both offences could put riders in real, serious danger. Fortunately for those set to compete at Paris-Roubaix, Jonas Abrahamsen and his team Uno-X Mobility have been out on the cobbles with their magnifying glasses making sure everything is ship shape for Sunday.

The third Monument of the season is set to start at 9:30 UK time for the men's and 16:00 for the women's on Sunday 12th April. Could Tadej Pogačar equal Mathieu van der Poel's three-time title? Might Demi Vollering continue her Flanders form and bag another cobbled monument? Either way, the cobbles will be pristine - all thanks to a bunch of goats.

1. It’s news to me, but some of the core workmen gruelling over the Paris-Roubaix cobbles are actually goats. The herd - around 40 strong - take to the cobbles every year as a form of 'eco-grazing', removing the need for chemical weed killers.

The queens are back 🐐📍 Trouée d’Arenberg pic.twitter.com/qEcu078kj7March 27, 2026

2. Buona Pasqua! Cyclist and social media influencer Elisa Scarlatta took to the Italian streets to spread some Easter joy last weekend - featuring the cutest crochet (?) bike/egg bag.

Easter
A photo posted by on

3. Scarlatta wasn’t the only one delivering chocolate to her fellow cyclists this weekend. SD Worx-Protime’s limited edition easter bunny mascot was doing the rounds this year at the Tour of Flanders.

Easter
A photo posted by on

4. For what Zoe Bäckstedt lacks in general knowledge she makes up in race results: after the interview, she blasted into fifth place at the Tour of Flanders, just behind last year’s winner, Lotte Kopecky.

ZB
A photo posted by on

5. One of the most scandalous things to have happened at the Tour of Flanders this year was a surprisingly common cycling phenomenon: a jumped red light. The peloton was divided after a train passed over a level crossing, splitting Tadej Pogačar and 54 others from a pack that included Mathieu van der Poel and Wout van Aert. Now those 50-plus riders could face fines by the Belgian public prosecutor’s office for the traffic offence.

Train stops Tour of Flanders: driver identified pic.twitter.com/W8Wcb7Yj3yApril 5, 2026

6. Featuring in both Omloop Het Nieuwsblad and the Ronde, the Muur van Geraardsbergen is not for the faint of heart: 910 metres of climbing at an average incline of 9%, maxing out at 20%. It’s even harder if you’ve got a dog strapped to your back.

Dog
A photo posted by on

7. Ahead of the last cobbled Classic of the season this weekend, here’s a reminder of what not to do from the side lines. (This is a wince-inducing watch.)

Phone
A photo posted by on

8. Jonas Abrahamsen and Uno-X Mobility are taking no risks this weekend as he prepares to race Paris-Roubaix on Sunday.

Abrahamsen
A photo posted by on

9. Mathew Hayman: everyone’s favourite Paris-Roubaix winner. In 2016, the Aussie took victory in France after breaking his arm just six weeks earlier.

Hayman
A photo posted by on

10. A bonus pic for my fellow goat fans. Unfortunately, they won’t be featuring on race day.

We ran into Tadej Pogacar, Mathieu van der Poel and Wout van Aert on Arenberg 🐐On a croisé Tadej Pogacar, Mathieu van der Poel et Wout van Aert sur Arenberg 🐐 pic.twitter.com/KrVddpiIaGApril 7, 2026

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Meg is a news writer for Cycling Weekly. In her time around cycling, Meg is a podcast producer and lover of anything that gets her outside, and moving.

From the Welsh-English borderlands, Meg's first taste of cycling was downhill - she's now learning to love the up, and swapping her full-sus for gravel (for the most part!).