Climate protester attempted to glue himself to cobbles in Ronde van Brugge, teams prepare legal action

Authorities later confirmed that the individual was Wouter Mouton, a member of Extinction Rebellion who has previously targeted major sporting events, including protests at the Tour of Flanders and Liège-Bastogne-Liège.

The disruption unfolded on a cobbled section, where riders were already navigating a technical and tense part of the course. Mouton entered the road just as the peloton approached, forcing riders to brake abruptly. Several went down in the chaos that followed, with defending champion Juan Sebastián Molano among those caught out.

According to race organiser Golazo, as reported by Het Nieuwsblad, the situation could have been even more serious. The activist reportedly intended to glue himself to the cobbles in front of the peloton, but was removed before he could do so. By that point, however, the damage had already been done.

The Police confirmed that an investigation is ongoing into the circumstances of the crash and whether a direct link can be established between the incident and the activist’s actions. It later emerged that Mouton was also being held in custody under judicial arrest.

Organisers reacted strongly and confirmed that a formal complaint will be filed. “By sitting in the middle of the road in front of an oncoming peloton, he seriously endangers the riders,” said Christophe Impens of Golazo to Het Nieuwsblad. “The fact that the damage from the crash appears limited is fortunate, but it does not change the reckless nature of this action, which has no place in cycling.”

Several teams, including Astana, Decathlon and Uno-X Mobility, are also preparing to take legal steps according to Het Nieuwsblad. 

The incident drew an immediate response from within the peloton. UAE Team Emirates-XRG sports director Fabio Baldato described the confusion in the moment. 

“Molano didn’t really understand what happened. Suddenly there was a motorbike stopped. Only later did we understand why,” he said to Sporza. “The police came to take our statements after the race. Molano hit the ground hard and has pain in his back, and Julius Johansen also crashed. Hopefully it’s nothing serious.”

Asked whether the team would pursue legal action, Baldato added: “We will have to discuss that with management. But hopefully something can be done to prevent this man from causing problems again in the future.”