During stage 6 of the Giro d’Italia in Napoli, a group of protesters disrupted the race, interfering with the riders near the finish line. The protest particularly affected breakaway cyclists Taco van der Hoorn and Enzo Paleni, while the rest of the peloton was confused by the sudden swerving. Wout van Aert, one of the riders, later expressed his shock upon discovering the reason for the commotion.
“In the moment, the peloton started moving erratically, and I didn’t understand why,” van Aert told Sporza. “I hadn’t noticed the demonstrators myself, so I was stunned when I saw the footage. It was unbelievable. Thankfully, they weren’t glued to the road.”
Authorities arrested a 67-year-old man following the incident, which saw two protesters place a tube in the path of the breakaway group. One of them stood dangerously close to the speeding peloton, just 2 kilometers from the finish, nearly causing more crashes. Spectator videos have captured the severity of the disruption, leaving the cycling community in disbelief.
Van Aert added that while spectators might be shocked, the riders have little control over such situations. “In a city like Napoli, you’d think barriers would be everywhere, but determined protesters won’t be stopped by a police escort or fencing—they’d just climb over it.”
He concluded by saying, “I hope these individuals are held accountable and rethink their actions. As riders, all we can do is strongly denounce this kind of behavior.”
