Fresh after his win in the Belgian National Championships time trial, Victor Campenaerts (Lotto-Soudal) fell flat on the ground after a drunken fan stepped on the road race course.
The Belgian suffered a slight concussion but could continue to finish the race, 77th behind winner Yves Lampaert (Quick-Step Floors).
>>> Who are all the new national champions of 2018?
"National Championships road race today to end the first part of the season," he wrote on Instagram.
"Pretty good legs but sadly ended the race with a crash. Light concussion. Due to a drunk spectator that was on the road. The huge crowd was awesome, but please stay at the side of the road."
The Lampaert fan ran into the road with around 6.3 kilometres remaining. The unnamed man went into the road to wave at a helicopter unaware of the riders coming his way.
Campenaerts could see the light side of it. "It's a funny story," he told Het Nieuwsblad. "I was overrun by a tipsy Lampaert supporter. I could not avoid him.
"I found myself on the ground suddenly. There was no option."
Lampaert won the road race over Quick-Step team-mate Philippe Gilbert and Jasper Stuyven (Trek-Segafredo). Campenaerts, who won the time trial title three days prior, was the last one in at eight minutes.
"Of course, I would have preferred that a team Lotto-Soudal rider won the jersey in the road race, but I'm glad for my friend and opponent Yves Lampaert, and I won the time trial."
The president of the Lampaert fan club reached out to Campenaerts after his Instagram message to apologise.
"Victor as president of Yves Lampaert fan club and also cycling fan, I would like to apologise for the incident in the last race," Bert Wanwijnsberghe wrote. "You must know that we have a lot of respect for every rider in the peloton. And certainly also for a champion like you."
"Bert, I really appreciate this message!" Campenaerts replied. "The strongest won yesterday."
Campenaerts raced the Giro d'Italia in May and will now take a break before the second half of his season.
-
-
'We need to see results from him': Israel-Start Up Nation expect Chris Froome's form to improve as they target a place among the super-teams
The four-time Tour winner will have to prove his form if he wants to be on the startline of the 2022 edition
By Chris Marshall-Bell •
-
Here are all the Oakley cycling glasses reduced by 50% this Black Friday
Oakley has dropped its Black Friday deals, with 50% off a range of models
By Michelle Arthurs-Brennan •
-
Paris-Roubaix runner-up Florian Vermeersch posts incredible ride to Strava
The 22-year-old Belgian put in an astonishing ride on his 'Hell of the North' debut
By Tim Bonville-Ginn •
-
Caleb Ewan out of Tour de France 2021 with collarbone fracture
The Australian crashed in the final stretch of stage three, bringing down Peter Sagan with him
By Richard Windsor •
-
Lotto-Soudal rider sent off course as he led solo in final kilometre at Ronde van Limburg
Brent Van Moer looked in with a chance of taking his first pro victory before he as sent off course
By Richard Windsor •
-
Lotto-Soudal down to just two riders at the Giro d'Italia 2021 after Thomas De Gendt abandons
The team have struggled with injuries since Caleb Ewan left the race
By Tim Bonville-Ginn •
-
Giro d’Italia 2021: Caleb Ewan says stage win a relief as he targets victory in all three Grand Tours in a single season
The Australian sprinter delivered another remarkable sprint
By Alex Ballinger •
-
Caleb Ewan fires at the final moment to win stage five of the Giro d'Italia 2021
The Australian won the day as crashes affected the GC race
By Alex Ballinger •
-
Andreas Kron takes the opening stage of Volta a Catalunya 2021 as late break makes it
Andreas Kron took stage one of the 100th Volta a Catalunya ahead of the Spanish champion Luis León Sánchez into Calella.
By Tim Bonville-Ginn •
-
Caleb Ewan: I practiced that attack on the Poggio many times before Milan-San Remo
Caleb Ewan has revealed he practiced following attacks on the Poggio “many times” before Milan-San Remo 2021.
By Alex Ballinger •
