You hear the word ‘goat’ a lot in professional cycling these days – but it’s never referring to the actual animal; instead, it’s the acronym of Greatest of all Time that is used, in reference to Tadej Pogačar.
But on stage three of the Giro d’Italia – won by Mads Pedersen – the hairy white animal finally had its day in the spotlight.
Midway through the stage from Vlorë to Vlorë, the race’s final day of its stint in Albania, a mountain goat charged away from around two dozen other goats and across the road as the peloton descended fast down a climb.
Dion Smith, riding for Intermarché-Wanty, was the unlucky rider who happened to be on the goat’s trajectory as it aimed to cross from one side to the other, almost knocking the New Zealander off his bike.
Fortunately, Smith stayed aboard his steed, and the goat managed to reach its destination: the rocky crags across from the field it was previously in – but not before it lashed out at Smith for being in its way.
“I didn’t have much time to think but I could see it 10 seconds before,” Smith recounted afterwards. “The policeman was trying to keep them all in, and then one or two started coming across.
"I didn’t know where he was going to go, but luckily I stayed upright. Everybody else went left and I chose right, but in the end it was alright.”
Did he make contact with the goat? “I think a little bit,” Smith answered. “I have to watch the replay because it happened so fast that I was focused on staying on my bike, but I think I might have just brushed it. It was pretty close.”
Before the race got underway in Albania, teams were voicing concerns that wild animals would interfere with proceedings, with stray dogs interrupting training rides before stage one.
“I think I probably expected more of a wild dog, but I guess there’s a lot more goats down here!” Smith laughed.
“Albania’s been great and it’s beautiful down the south here. They’ve done really well and I’ve enjoyed it. It’s been a different experience – just watch out for the goats!”
