As regular viewers of the annual Tour de France would tell you, the spectators often provide as much entertainment as the cyclists do.
And that was certainly the case when riders in the Tour Of Britain were upstaged by a 12-year-old lad who raced beside them and even outpaced them in a tour stage yesterday outside of Edinburgh.
Local schoolboy Xander Graham had come to watch the cyclists compete through his home town of Bonnyrigg in Midlothian with his cycling gear and bike.
The youngster decided to race the pros via the pavement before being handed a water bottle from Dutch cyclist Pascal Eenkhoorn.
The impromptu event broadcast live to TV audiences around the world. Check it out below:
The real race we’re here for!
Nicely done, @PascalEenkhoorn 🙌
📺 Watch stage seven live on ITV4#TourOfBritain 🔵⚪🔵 pic.twitter.com/C4G646nZ5I
— AJ Bell Tour of Britain 🇬🇧 (@TourofBritain) September 11, 2021
The young chap later telling the BBC: “We already knew they were going to be there because we had seen the route online.
“They were coming round the corner and people were clapping and that’s when I decided to start riding up beside them.
“It was about one minute and I was just riding as fast as I could – about 25 kilometres an hour I think.”
Graham revealing he has dreams of one day becoming a professional cyclist.
For his efforts, he was handed a water bottle by the Dutchman, a tradition in road cycling.
“I was just in shock,” he said of the gesture. “I was so happy and amazed. I’m getting a shelf for it to put up in my room.”
He was later photographed with Eenkhoorn post the completion of the race stage.
The reunion we’ve all been waiting for: @PascalEenkhoorn and Xander Graham 👊
[📸 –> @swpixtweets]#TourOfBritain 🔵⚪🔵 pic.twitter.com/GWU97LlWTK
— AJ Bell Tour of Britain 🇬🇧 (@TourofBritain) September 12, 2021
