Tadej Pogacar is among the riders being investigated for running a red light at a railway crossing during the Tour de Flanders on Sunday. Pogacar, who won the race for a record-equalling third time, was in a group of riders who went through the crossing without stopping. Most of the peloton behind them had to stop before the railway.
Belgian officials confirmed on Monday there was an investigation into the riders who allegedly ran the red light. They said no further details were immediately available. Local media said the riders could face a fine and driving suspension if found guilty.
Pogacar, who rides for UAE Team Emirates-XRG, said after the race that the signal for them to stop came in too late. “Suddenly three guys jump on the middle of the road and start waving to stop,” he said. “How can you stop in one second? I think they could prevent this by stopping us before, no? Not 10 metres before the crossing. I was thinking: ‘Maybe it’s like some protesters or something crazy is going on.’”
The Belgian newspaper Het Laatste Nieuws reported that the East Flanders public prosecutor’s office intended to prosecute the riders, who could be hit with fines ranging from €320 to €4,000 (£279 to £3487) and a driving ban of eight days.
Race officials ordered the riders who went through to slow down so the rest of the peloton could catch up to them again.
Also known as De Ronde (the Tour), the Tour of Flanders is one of cycling’s most challenging one-day races and was first held in 1913. This year’s 278km (172.7-mile) route featured 16 short but punishing climbs and several cobblestone sections.
The race is one of the “monuments” of cycling – the five most prestigious one-day events in the sport – along with Milan-San Remo, Paris-Roubaix, Liège-Bastogne-Liège and the Giro di Lombardia.