Should Pogacar and Evenepoel have been expelled from the Tour of Flanders?

A moment of maximum tension marked the early hours of the Tour of Flanders 2026, when part of the peloton crossed a level crossing with the signals already activated, causing a chaotic situation that divided the race and raised questions about safety during the competition.

Pogacar and Evenepoel at the center of the controversy after a level crossing in Flanders

The incident occurred more than 200 kilometers from the finish line, in the Belgian town of Wichelen. At that point, the leading group of the peloton continued their march despite the activation of the traffic lights, while a second block of riders was forced to come to a complete stop due to the passing train. Among the cyclists who managed to stay in the lead were Tadej Pogacar and Remco Evenepoel, while other favorites like Mathieu van der Poel and Wout van Aert were temporarily cut off.

Half the peloton is stopped by a level crossing, the other half continues on...

and the race car reprimands those who did not stop at the barriers, including Pogacar, who with the regulations in hand could be disqualified.

One of the images from #RVV26. pic.twitter.com/IfsKBu6ZC6

— Eurosport.es (@Eurosport_ES) April 5, 2026

For a few moments, the race was completely disorganized. The leading group initially maintained the pace, with several teams trying to take advantage of the situation, until the race direction intervened to neutralize the effect of the split. From the commissaires' cars, it was ordered to reduce speed to allow the held-up riders to return to the main peloton, thus restoring competitive equality.

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The day's breakaway was the big beneficiary of this episode. Without the need to increase the pace, the escapees extended their lead thanks to the confusion generated in the main group, consolidating a difference that affected the subsequent development of the race.

Beyond the sporting impact, attention quickly turned to the possible disciplinary consequences. The regulations of the International Cycling Union (UCI) state that it is strictly prohibited to cross a level crossing when the lights indicate so. Among the penalties provided are financial fines, loss of points, expulsion from the race, and even a one-month suspension. The organization itself insists that riders must stop at a red signal, although the application of the sanction depends on the interpretation of the commissaires and whether the crossing occurred with the signal already active or at the exact moment of its activation.

Despite the strictness of the regulations, all indications are that the incident will not have sporting consequences. Information from the race environment indicates that the possibility of sanction is minimal, partly due to the high number of riders involved and the difficulty of judging precisely what happened in real time.

The episode has also generated reactions outside the purely sporting realm. From Infrabel, the company responsible for the Belgian railway network, they have expressed regret over what happened and have reminded that in such situations, absolute priority is safety. Furthermore, they emphasized that in events like the Tour of Flanders, there is prior planning to manage railway crossings, in coordination with the authorities and the organization, although in this case it seems that no interruption of railway traffic had been requested.

The Tour of Flanders thus continues after an episode that, without altering the immediate result of the race, reopens the debate on the limits between competition and safety in professional cycling.