Video: Evenepoel vents frustration at police officer after European Championships crash

The incident happened with 36km remaining, shortly after Evenepoel had responded to Ciccone’s attack on the Možjanca climb.

Evenepoel accelerated past the Italian near the top, but moments later he carried too much speed into the first corner of the descent and lost control. He slipped out and hit the ground, abruptly halting an attack that had looked capable of deciding the race.

A police officer stationed alongside the course immediately stepped in to help. She picked up Evenepoel’s bike and attempted to hand it back to him, but in the confusion she initially turned the bike in the wrong direction.

With every second potentially decisive, Evenepoel reacted with visible frustration and gestured towards the officer before taking the bike and remounting.

Afterwards, Evenepoel accepted responsibility for the crash itself.

“I went a bit too fast in the corner and I just slipped away,” he said after the race. “But in the end, we stayed calm and we came back to the plan.”

Despite the setback, the crash did not end his chances.

Supported by his Belgian teammates, Evenepoel quickly returned to a chasing group and rejoined Ciccone within a matter of kilometres. He then attacked again with around 32km remaining, with Ciccone the only rider able to follow.

The pair stayed clear into the final lap, where the race developed into a tactical duel. Evenepoel spent much of the closing circuit on the front, while Ciccone had little incentive to contribute with his Italian teammate Christian Scaroni chasing alone behind in third place.

Ciccone then caught Evenepoel out through the final corner and opened a small gap, but the Belgian fought his way back in the final 100 metres. The two hit the line almost together, forcing officials to consult the photo finish.

After a short wait, Evenepoel was confirmed as the European champion.