BELGIUM – 23-year-old Belgian cyclist Lars Daniels impressed the internet after he wrangled and controlled a horse mid-bike race. The horse burst onto the road and began chasing after the peloton during the Saturday stage of the Arden Challenge.
While the rest of the cyclists appear to be uneasy around the horse (rightfully so), Daniels manages to calm the horse, grabbing its reigns and slowing it down. Based on his Instagram, it seems pretty clear that Daniels has spent a fair amount of time around horses, but that doesn’t make this any less impressive.
In the comments, Lars explains that the loose reigns, which were already starting to trip up the horse, were part of the reason he was able to catch the animal. This could have wound up a lot worse for the cyclists and the horse, so we’re glad he was there.
The real question is whether or not this would count as cheating in the eyes of the UCI. My guess is no disciplinary actions will actually happen in relation to this incident (and nothing should), but if it had occurred in a bigger race like the Giro d’Italia or the Tour de France, would there be discipline? He is technically letting the horse pull him along. Obviously this is all hypothetical, and he shouldn’t see any punishment, but what would happen?
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Image Credit: Lars Daniels via Instagram