A junior cycling race in Germany turned into absolute chaos when an elderly woman on a mobility scooter rolled into the road and sent riders flying in a shocking crash caught on video.
More than 100 young cyclists from across Europe were competing Sunday in the Saarland Trofeo Juniors when the bizarre moment unfolded along the countryside race route.
Video from stunned spectators shows the woman slowly inching her mobility scooter out from the crowd and into the path of the speeding cyclists.
An elderly woman caused a mass crash during a cycling race in Germany
The pensioner reportedly wanted to get a better look at the athletes, misjudged the situation, and rode directly onto the course. pic.twitter.com/oA27t7QhA1
— NEXTA (@nexta_tv) June 15, 2026
One rider managed to swerve around her just in time. But the cyclist behind him was not so lucky.
Dutch rider Paul Vriesman slammed into the scooter, narrowly missing the woman herself, before flipping headfirst over his handlebars and crashing hard onto the road.
The frightening wreck triggered a chain reaction, with at least four other cyclists tumbling to the pavement as bikes and bodies scattered across the course.
Despite how brutal the crash looked, Vriesman later said he escaped the wreck without serious injuries.
He described it on social media as “a very nasty looking crash” and said he “got away with it relatively well.”
Still, the young cyclist said he was stunned that something like this could happen during a race.
“Lost for words on how something like this can happen,” Vriesman wrote, calling it another painful setback after already being involved in a scary crash earlier in the season.
“So much hard work and yet another setback,” he added.
Amazingly, none of the riders involved in the scooter pileup suffered serious injuries, according to reports.
The crash quickly went viral and sparked outrage among cycling fans, with many warning spectators to stay far away from the race path.
Cycling commentator Los Brolin, who shared the video, said even the smallest movement into the road can have disastrous consequences when riders are racing at high speeds.
“Even a small step onto the road can have serious consequences at these speeds,” he wrote.
He also claimed this was not the first spectator-related incident during the race.
“Junior racing is already dangerous enough without spectators making it even more dangerous,” he added.
The race continued after the crash, with Norway’s Sindre Orholm-Lønseth taking first place. Splinter van’t Hoff of the Netherlands finished second, while Germany’s Elias Wändel came in third.
The bizarre scooter incident brought back memories of the infamous 2021 Tour de France crash, when a woman holding a cardboard sign stepped too close to the riders and caused a massive pileup.
In that crash, German cyclist Tony Martin clipped the sign, sparking a domino effect that sent racers crashing across the road.
The woman fled the scene before later turning herself in to police. Tour de France organizers eventually decided not to press charges.
This time, the frightening scene ended with a miracle: bruised riders, wrecked bikes, and a viral reminder that spectators should never get too close to the action.
