Another car enters a UCI race as the peloton demands urgent safety measures

The safety of the peloton is once again in question. This Wednesday, a private vehicle interrupted the route of the Eneco Tour in the Netherlands, just as the breakaway was about to pass. The incident occurred just four days after the cyclists halted the start of Il Lombardia to demand urgent safety measures.

A car appears in front of the Eneco Tour breakaway

The incident took place during the first stage of the Eneco Tour 2026, held this Wednesday, October 14, in the surroundings of Ede, in the Netherlands.

With approximately 70 kilometers to go, a car unrelated to the organization was seen driving along the route in the same direction as the cyclists, just ahead of the three members of the breakaway.

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Television footage shows how a police motorcyclist manages to intercept the vehicle and forces its driver to stop at the side of the road. Just moments later, the three escapees, Rick Ottema (EEW-VDK), Luke Verburg (Azerion/Villa Valkenburg), and Johan Dorussen (Metec-Solarwatt), pass by.

Again... A vehicle slips into the stage of the Eneco Tour just 4 days after the riders' protest in Lombardia. #EnecoTour #LaCasadelCiclismo https://t.co/CcyQEn9aMI

— Eurosport.es (@Eurosport_ES) October 14, 2026

Fortunately, the quick intervention prevented accidents. The main peloton was 1 minute and 44 seconds behind the escapees and arrived at that point after the vehicle had already been removed.

Another incident just four days after the Il Lombardia protest

What happened is particularly concerning due to the timing. Last Saturday, the riders organized a five-minute stoppage before the start of Il Lombardia to denounce the recurrence of incidents involving vehicles during competitions.

The protest, led by riders like Tom Pidcock and Ben Healy, with Remco Evenepoel as spokesperson, came after a series of accidents that have called into question the protection of the routes.

The most serious case was the death of Finlay Tarling, just 19 years old, during the Volta a Portugal, after colliding with a vehicle unrelated to the competition.

More recently, during the Tres Valles Varesinos, a police motorcycle traveling in the opposite direction caused an accident involving Marcel Camprubí and Thomas Gloag, both from Pinarello Q36.5. Also, in the Coppa Bernocchi, a DHL delivery van managed to enter the race route.

During the Lombardia protest, Evenepoel specifically asked the organizers to ensure races where cyclists would not have to worry about the appearance of cars or motorcycles on the road.

Just four days later, the Eneco Tour has once again presented an image that precisely summarizes what the riders were denouncing. This time there were no physical consequences, but the incident again highlights the problems of keeping the routes protected from traffic unrelated to the competition.