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This rider crashed at the Giro because he was giving a fan a bottle

The fall happened just after the stage concluded

Photo by: @carlogironi

Cycling is a tough sport. Between the mountains, the weather, and the road surfaces, there’s also the chance of crashing. Finishing races unscathed is always a good thing…but wiping out afterwards must really stink.

Jumbo-Visma’s climber Sam Oomen learned this the hard way today. After giving a bottle to a spectator. his front wheel slipped away and he hit the deck hard. It seems he was caught by the purse–or rather European carryall, belonging to the spectator.Team Jumbo-Visma posted afterwards that he was fine: “At first glance, he seems to be fine.”

The UCI briefly had a law preventing riders from giving bottles to fans during races, which was overturned. The governing body changed the rules on discarding bottles during races, following complaints from the pros. Originally, the riders face instant disqualification if they chucked their bottle or trash outside of the designated zones in races.

Many fans are grateful for pros throwing away their bottles as it is a cherished keepsake to be found on the side of the road. At the 2021 Tour of Britain a young cyclist rode alongside the breakaway. As Pascal Eenkhoorn of Team Jumbo-Visma passed him he handed Xander Graham a water bottle. He created a moment to remember not only for the young Scot, but for cycling fans everywhere.

Anyway, this was definitely not the case for another Jumbo-Visma rider today.