Dutch rider Lucinda Brand collided with a spectator while chasing the leaders through a cobbled sector of the women’s Paris‑Roubaix. A fan’s outstretched hands struck her handlebar, sending her onto the rough stones and injuring her shoulder. Brand remounted, finished tenth and was examined by team doctors, who reported neck pain but no fractures. She suffered a bruised shoulder and described the incident as unsettling.

Brand rides for Lidl‑Trek, and her mishap adds to a growing list of fan‑related incidents that have disrupted major races. Similar interference occurred in the 2021 Tour de France when a sign‑holding spectator caused a massive pile‑up, and again in 2023 when a selfie‑seeking fan endangered the peloton. Organisers are under pressure to tighten crowd control. Police are reviewing footage to identify the individual responsible.

Germany’s Franziska Koch took the sprint in the velodrome, edging out Marianne Vos by half a wheel for a career‑defining win and delivering FDJ United‑Suez a triumph after a Tour of Flanders victory. The result reinforces the team’s dominance, while Brand’s injury reminder may prompt stricter spectator zones in future editions. Fans cheered loudly as the podium ceremony unfolded under the fading light.