Joyful dog joins in on pro cyclocross race in Belgium
An excited dog got on course at the Jaamarktcross Niel and bounded up one of the courses run-ups with the racers
At the third stop of the 2016 Soudal Classics at Jaamarktcross in Niel, Belgium on Armistice Day, an excited dog joined in on the race pounding up on of the courses challenging run-ups along with some of the racers. European champion Toon Aerts was victorious in the men’s race while Sanne Cant won the women’s event. The conditions on course were not overly wet instead heavy, muddy conditions made the corners and off-camber sections slippery and very challenging for the riders.
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It’s not known who allowed the dog to escape their grasp, but it found its way on course in perhaps one of the safer sections with the cyclocross racers dismounted and scampering up a muddy incline. Unlike in road races where high speeds make animals interfering with the race quite dangerous, the dog appears to wait for the riders to begin their ascent of the muddy incline before excitingly joining them bounding up significant faster than the riders with their bikes.
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The race was being broadcast by Trek in North America and the video briefly captures the dog’s participation in the race after it made it’s way onto the course.
Eerste impressies van het spinnenweb #jaarmarktcross #niel #soudalclassics pic.twitter.com/jG1iWRIAAb
— Rectavit Series (@RectavitSeries) November 11, 2016
The course was also notable for including a spiral of doom which allows riders to monitor their competitors. A feature that is found more often at American cyclocross races, it is as dizzying to ride as it is to watch.
