A fan stole a water bottle from a pro cyclist and they weren’t impressed one bit
Jonas Hvideberg was shocked when he lost his bidon
After a race, you’ll often see fans surrounding their heroes, looking for a quick word or autograph. For the most part, racers will do their job and give some time. There have been times when cyclists have famously snubbed fans. At the 2022 Vuelta a Espana, Remco Evenepoel refused to sign a jersey for a young fan right after his race. Apparently he ultimately did, but many said it was bad optics, despite the fact that he was in his cool down. Also, fans love to get their hands on water bottles that have seen action in the peloton.
Was this spectator being super brave, or super dangerous helping a fallen rider?
At the recent Vuelta a San Juan, Norwegian rider Jonas Hvideberg was approached by a fan who asked for his bidon.
Hvideberg didn’t feel like giving it away, and the fan walked away empty handed. But before you could say botella de agua, another fan creeped up and grabbed it. As you can imagine, the DSM rider was hardly amused.
Check out the bottle heist below.
Une belle ferveur mais toujours ces quelques arracheurs de bidons irrespectueux… pic.twitter.com/MYteVfuHfr
— Antoine Besson (@Antoine_Besson) January 29, 2023
Still, it wasn’t quite as brazen as what Marco Haller experienced at the 2019 Giro d’Italia.
