Pogačar, Evenepoel Among 54 Riders Under Criminal Investigation After Flanders Rail Crossing Incident

Tadej Pogačar and Remco Evenepoel are among 54 riders under criminal investigation after they rode through a red light at a railway crossing during the Tour of Flanders moments before a train passed, Belgian prosecutors confirmed.

Belgian judicial authorities said that dozens of riders from Sunday’s Tour of Flanders are now under formal investigation following a controversial level-crossing incident early in the race.

According to the East Flanders public prosecutor, the riders ignored a red railway signal with roughly 212 kilometers remaining and crossed the tracks moments before an approaching train.

No crash or immediate sporting sanctions followed — blatant violations can result in expulsion from a race —  but now some cycling’s biggest stars could face charges.

“Crossing a red light at a railway crossing constitutes a fourth-degree offense, the most serious category under the road code, and can lead to serious consequences,” the prosecutor’s office said in a statement. “Such an infraction represents a serious risk to the safety of riders and third parties. These offenses are therefore severely punished.”

Authorities identified all riders involved, and an official report is now being prepared, Belgian media reported.

Fines and court appearances before a police tribunal might be required, depending on what investigators determine.

Riders avoided disqualification, now face possible charges

The incident split the peloton in half early in Sunday’s race, with rivals including Mathieu van der Poel and Wout van Aert stopping at the crossing before later rejoining the race after officials neutralized the bunch.

TV images captured the peloton cut into two, with half of the bunch stopping at the crossing, and the other half soft pedaling as officials delayed the race.

Riders insisted that the red warning lights and safety bar were not activated until the front of the peloton had entered the train crossing.

Despite the popularity of big bike races like Flanders or Paris-Roubaix, both racing rules and local laws say that trains have priority and that riders must stop at a level crossing under all circumstances.

Riders have been kicked out of races in the past, but on Sunday, the UCI did not cite the riders and classified it as a race incident.

One official told Belgian media that sanctions were not imposed in part because a sudden braking effort would have been more dangerous at race speed than rolling through.

Belgian officials are taking the incident seriously, following a few recent incidents involving the general public ignoring warning signs of approaching trains.