Race news
Scooter disrupts Grand Prix Cycliste de Marseille as riders forced to navigate chaos
Security breach mars season-opening race in southern France, with peloton confronted by an unauthorised motorised vehicle on course. Bryan Coquard would go on to pick up his first victory of the season in a tight sprint finish in Marseille.
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Tommaso Pelagalli / Cor Vos
The Grand Prix Cycliste de Marseille descended into chaos today when an unauthorised scooter rider invaded the course, forcing professional cyclists to navigate around the intruder during the season-opening race in the Bouches-du-Rhône region.
The bizarre incident unfolded as the peloton was racing at full speed, with the motorised vehicle appearing directly in the path of riders competing in the 146-kilometre race that traditionally inaugurates the French cycling calendar.
Images captured the surreal moment as riders from multiple teams were forced to manoeuvre around the scooter-mounted intruder who had somehow breached course security. The incident raised immediate questions about safety protocols at professional cycling events.
Race organisers have yet to release an official statement regarding how the intruder managed to access the course, or whether any action was taken against the individual. It remains unclear if the person was apprehended or simply left the course of their own accord.
In the end, Bryan Coquard (Cofidis) sprinted to victory in Marseille ahead of Steffen De Schuyteneer (Lotto-Intermarché) and Alex Molenaar (Caja Rural-Seguros RGA). It's the 54th victory of the 33-year-old Frenchman's career, and first of Cofidis's 2026 season, having been relegated from the WorldTour at the end of last season.
