Watch: Elisa Longo Borgini launches competitors bike into the stratosphere after crash

With 34-km still to race at Thursday’s Driedaagse Brugge-De Panne, Italian rider Elisa Longo Borghini of Trek-Segrafedo was involved in a two-woman crash with Bigla Pro Cycling’s Elizabeth Banks. TV cameras caught the aftermath of the crash. As Banks slowly lifted herself off the pavement, Borghini tried to get back on her bike. The only issue was that Borghini’s Trek was tangled up with Banks Chapter2.

Well, that seems a bit unnecessary by Elisa Longo Borghini #bikethrow #AG3daagse #UCIWWT pic.twitter.com/aL8cHJOWyF

— wimderon (@wimderon) March 28, 2019

In a moment of sheer frustration, Borghini struggled to free her bike. When Banks’ bike which was on top finally came loose, she threw it high in the air before it came down hard on the pavement. Observers joked that she threw the bike in the wrong direction, away from Banks rather than towards the recovering rider. Banks would be a DNF in the race while Borghini finished 82nd, 23 seconds back on race winner Kirsten Wild.

Throwing, your own, let alone a competitors bike is definitely not a good look and following the race Borghini apologized.

Sorry for the bike throw today. It was done in the heat of the moment and I was very frustrated because the bikes would not untangle. It was unacceptable and I am truly sorry. My apologies to @biglateam, I would never intentionally cause damage to someone else or their property.

— Elisa Longo Borghini (@ElisaLongoB) March 28, 2019

“Sorry for the bike throw today. It was done in the heat of the moment and I was very frustrated because the bikes would not untangle. It was unacceptable and I am truly sorry. My apologies to @biglateam, I would never intentionally cause damage to someone else or their property,” she wrote on Twitter.

With the bike throw, Borghini enters in the list of all-time greats alongside David Millar, Bjarne Riiis, Bradley Wiggins, and RedHook racer Jeremy Santucci amoung many others.