Feature
The peloton rides past a kangaroo caution road sign Sunday during stage five of the Tour Down Under UCI men’s cycling race in Adelaide, Australia. (Brenton Edwards – AFP / Getty Images)
By Lorri Wickenhauser January 28, 2026 at 3:35pm
A major cycling event in Australia was disrupted Sunday when two kangaroos hopped onto the course and collided with several race participants.
“There’s been a crash in the peloton, and there it is,” one sports broadcaster remarked as the cameras panned the wreckage. Then he spotted the cause of the confusion. “Oh, it’s a kangaroo! Never seen that before,” he said.
WARNING: The following post contains scenes of injured humans and animals that some may find disturbing.
Only in the Tour Down Under: Race leader Jay Vine and a few other of the world’s best cyclists have been taken down by a kangaroo after it hopped into the peloton. pic.twitter.com/IbwAdtclhg
— 7NEWS Adelaide (@7NewsAdelaide) January 25, 2026
His co-host agreed, saying, “Unfortunately, one of the hazards of racing in Australia in these regions.”
“Some of the wildlife — you can’t tell them, ‘Don’t go about your day, there’s a bike race on.’”
As the camera zoomed in on the visibly injured kangaroo — and then quickly turned away — the sportscaster groaned, saying, “Oh, dear, that’s tragic!”
Several bicyclists were injured and had to drop out of the race, according to a report by the New York Post.
The animals didn’t come off unscathed, either — one kangaroo reportedly had to be euthanized due to injuries in the incident. The other escaped relatively unscathed.
The ultimate winner of the race, Australian Jay Vine, was one of those knocked off his bike about 45 miles into a 105-mile stage.
Vine told reporters the kangaroo encounter was something of an I-told-you-so moment for him.
“Everyone asks me what’s the most dangerous thing in Australia, and I always tell them it’s kangaroos,” he said, according to People.
“They wait and they hide in the bushes until you can’t stop and they jump out in front of you,” he described.
“Point proven today.”
Vine said he had to change bikes twice after the crash.
“It’s one of those things, bad luck,” he told People. “Luckily, I’m okay and glad I’m able to hold onto the [winning] jersey.”
Lorri Wickenhauser has worked at news organizations in California and Arizona. She joined The Western Journal in 2021.
Lorri Wickenhauser has worked at news organizations in California and Arizona. She joined The Western Journal in 2021.
Advertise with The Western Journal and reach millions of highly engaged readers, while supporting our work. Advertise Today.
