Thomas De Gendt is participating in his 24th Grand Tour, and despite all his experience, he still encounters special moments. During Thursday’s mountain stage towards the Javalambre Observatory, he received assistance from a spectator when dealing with a mechanical issue. On social media, De Gendt coincidentally said, “He sorted the situation in just five seconds.”
“My chain fell off on the second climb of the day. Then suddenly, a fan jumped onto the road. He put my chain back on in five seconds and immediately pushed me to get back into the race. He did all of this while shouting, ‘I’m a machine,'” continues the anecdote from the experienced Lotto Dstny rider. “I would like to thank this anonymous fan for their tremendous help.”
De Gendt, at 36 years old, eventually crossed the finish line in 128th place, more than 27 minutes behind the stage winner, Sepp Kuss.