Riders who ran level crossing red light during men's Tour of Flanders could face fines and short driving bans, says Flemish prosecutor

During the men’s Tour of Flanders, a significant incident occurred when the peloton approached a level crossing in Wichelen and the red light was activated, causing the race to momentarily split. While the barriers were down and a train passed, the majority of the riders were halted, but a 13-rider breakaway group was allowed to continue in accordance with UCI regulations, increasing their lead by around two minutes. The peloton regrouped over the following four kilometres under commissaires’ instructions to slow down, and no riders were disqualified as a result of the stoppage. The Flemish Public Prosecutor’s Office has since announced plans to identify and penalise those riders who ignored or failed to see the red signal at the level crossing and continued riding. Belgian media reports suggest that the penalties could include fines of approximately €320 and short driving bans of up to eight days. An out-of-court settlement is also reportedly an option. This follows similar incidents in past races, such as the 2015 Paris-Roubaix, where riders were not disqualified despite breaching level crossing rules. Race winner Tadej Pogačar and third-place finisher Remco Evenepoel were among those in the front group when the incident occurred, while other notable riders like Wout van Aert and Mathieu van der Poel were caught behind the barriers. Pogačar expressed frustration at the abrupt nature of the stoppage, questioning why riders were not warned earlier to prevent such a sudden halt. He also highlighted the oddity of the rule that allowed the breakaway to continue while the peloton was stopped, though he ultimately accepted the situation without complaint. The UCI’s official post-race communique made no mention of the level crossing incident or related penalties, focusing instead on other race infringements. Pogačar was fined 500 Swiss Francs for littering outside the designated zone and lost 25 UCI points, while Evenepoel received a 200 Swiss Franc fine for a ‘sticky bottle’ offence. The level crossing episode raises questions about race safety and regulatory consistency, with the prosecutor’s intervention signalling potential legal consequences beyond sporting sanctions.