A surreal episode marked the women's Liège-Bastogne-Liège, when a spectator decided to join the race 31 kilometers from the finish, creating a moment of potential danger.

The man, wearing a UAE Team Emirates jersey, planned his moment after the Côte de la Redoute climb, inserting himself between Pauliena Rooijakkers (Fenix-Deceuninck) and pursuer Antonia Niedermaier (Canyon-SRAM). Fortunately, his moment of glory was quickly cut short by the intervention of a safety bike that pulled him off the course.

'I saw this man and for a moment I thought it was Tadej Pogačar . But obviously it wasn't him,' joked Rooijakkers after the match, managing to make light of the incident. 'It was really strange, I don't understand what his intention was.'

Commentators harshly criticized the gesture: 'If you're a fan, stay on the sidelines, cheer on the athletes and enjoy the show. You're not part of the competition,' said Hannah Walker.

The incident adds to a series of inappropriate spectator behavior at cycling races this spring, following recent incidents involving Mathieu van der Poel.

Fortunately, the accident did not have any consequences for the athletes in the race. Rooijakkers finished the race in 13th place, while her teammate Puck Pieterse placed second behind the winner Kim Le Court.