Mathieu van der Pol (Coledon Circus) had to sprint against a stray dog that escaped from its owner at the end of the first lap at the Vlaamse Druivencross in Oberje on Sunday.

The dog was eventually caught without harming the rider, and van der Pol went on to win the race.

During the elite men's race, a video was shown of a stray dog with a leash hanging from its collar running alongside the riders as they crossed the finish straight at the end of the first lap.

Tom Pidcock (Trinity Racing) led the race, followed by Quinten Hellmans (Terrenette Valoise).

Dog initially ran behind Pidcock and Hermans, but appeared to give up the chase until Iserbitt and van der Pol passed down the straight.

Later, a dog was seen chasing the rear wheel of Van der Pol as he attempted to cross the finish line at the start of the second lap.

Several people, including the course marshals, tried to catch the dog as it crossed the finish line, but were unsuccessful. The dog continued to chase riders for the first few hundred meters of the course, causing one rider to stop and take his hands off the pedals.

Van der Pol eventually won the race ahead of Pidcock and Hellmans.