Colombia's German Dario Gomez was left standing beside the road in tears at the junior men's World Championships road race in Yorkshire on Thursday, due to a mechanical.
The 18-year-old had to walk and run with his bike, carrying his rear wheel and tyre separately.
Whilst several cars did pass, neither neutral service nor the Colombia team cars could reach the rider, as they sat further back in the convoy.
After watching multiple cars drive past, he broke down in tears, before sitting on the grass to try to repair the puncture - then getting back up to continue the race on foot.
Gomez was eventually rewarded with a functioning rear wheel, but only when the second group on the road had caught up, knocking him out of a potentially winning break.
Images of the teary teenager circulated on Twitter, alongside an outpouring of sympathy for the lad ready to race but without the necessary equipment.
Journalist and presenter Laura Winter commented: "Beyond devastating for this young Columbian who was not given a wheel. He’s sobbing and walking up a hill.
"Now neutral have caught up with him and he’ll have to chase back on."
It was the young rider's first world championships road race, having placed 15th in the time trial on Monday, 1-34 down on Italian winner Antonio Tiberi.
He also competed at the Pan American Championships in July, winning the junior men's time trial and taking 25th in the road race.
Michelle Arthurs-Brennan is Cycling Weekly's Tech Editor, and is responsible for managing the tech news and reviews both on the website and in Cycling Weekly magazine.
A traditional journalist by trade, Arthurs-Brennan began her career working for a local newspaper, before spending a few years at Evans Cycles, then combining writing and her love of bicycles first at Total Women's Cycling and then Cycling Weekly.
When not typing up reviews, news, and interviews Arthurs-Brennan is a road racer who also enjoys track riding and the occasional time trial, though dabbles in off-road riding too (either on a mountain bike, or a 'gravel bike'). She is passionate about supporting grassroots women's racing and founded the women's road race team 190rt.
She rides bikes of all kinds, but favourites include a custom carbon Werking road bike as well as the Specialized Tarmac SL6.
Height: 166cm
Weight: 56kg
Michelle Arthurs-Brennan on Instagram
-
-
Team sprint: The Tokyo 2020 Olympic team sprint event explained
The need to know on the team sprint at the Olympic Games
By Richard Windsor •
-
Annemiek van Vleuten and Anna Kiesenhofer respond to confusion in Tokyo 2020 Olympics road race
Van Vleuten has shared her side of the story, while Kiesenhofer commended the Dutchwoman for her reaction after the finish
By Alex Ballinger •
-
Nils Eekhoff’s appeal over Yorkshire under-23 disqualification thrown out by court
Nils Eekhoff’s attempts to appeal his disqualification from the Yorkshire World Championship under-23 race has been thrown out by a sporting court.
By Alex Ballinger •
-
'It's a shame there's so much commotion around Primož' says Wout van Aert after Worlds disappointment
Primož Roglič has been accused of not helping his Jumbo-Visma team-mate enough at the end of the Imola 2020 Worlds road race
By Jonny Long •
-
Wout van Aert 'disappointed' with Worlds results: 'Silver twice, that hits hard'
The Belgian says his Jumbo-Visma team-mate Primož Roglič 'did everything he could' to bring Julian Alaphilippe back in the men's road race
By Jonny Long •
-
'It's just a dream': Julian Alaphilippe overcome with emotion as he becomes world champion
The Frenchman won with a trademark attack on the final climb to become the new wearer of the rainbow bands
By Jonny Long •
-
Julian Alaphilippe the new world champion after sensational road race victory at Imola 2020
The Frenchman attacked on the final climb and kept the chasers at bay all the way to the finish
By Jonny Long •
-
Alexey Lutsenko out of Worlds road race following positive coronavirus test
The Kazakh rider was pulled from the men's road race after returning a positive test two days before the start
By Jonny Long •
-
Road World Championships 2020: Elite men’s road race start list
Here's who is taking part in the men's road race at the 2019 UCI Road World Championships in Yorkshire
By Jonny Long •
-
Five talking points from the Imola 2020 World Championships women’s road race
Anna van der Breggen becomes the first rider since Jeannie Longo in 1995 to do the double at the Worlds
By Jonny Long •
