The Tour of Colombia had a special participant this week. A dog stole the show last Wednesday by running alongside the riders on the final climb of the queen stage.
The second stage of the Colombian stage race took the peloton to the Alto de la Línea, a climb of 19.8 kilometers with an average gradient of 6.8 percent.
A dog, which according to local media lives with a family along the route, decided to accompany the riders to the top. Images show the four-legged friend running for kilometers to the finish, which was over 3,200 meters above sea level.
The dog brought smiles to the peloton. Stage winner Andrea Ramírez sought out the animal after the finish for a photo, and on social media the dog was nicknamed ‘Pogacan’ and ‘Doggachar’, referring to Tadej Pogacar.
It is not the first time that an animal has made the news at a cycling race. Last month, a goat caused a collision with a rider in the Giro d’Italia. Two years ago, Demi Vollering had to brake hard for a runaway horse in the Strade Bianche.