Tour Down Under 'Shock:' Kangaroos 'Threw Themselves' Onto Cyclists—Riders Escaped Injury

Several cyclists were injured when two big kangaroos suddenly leaped onto the Tour Down Under race track in Adelaide on Sunday, with one of the injured animals being euthanised at the end.

In spite of the mess, Australian cyclist Jay Vine overcame the crash with the marsupials and bagged his second victory.

'Everyone asks me what's the most dangerous thing in Australia and I always tell them it's kangaroos,' Vine told media outlets.

Vine said the animals usually hide in the bushes until 'you can't stop and they jump out in front of you.'

'Point proven today, two of them blasted through the peloton as we were doing probably 50km/h,' he said. 'One of them stopped, went left, right, left, right, left, right and I ended up hitting its backside as it was flaying around on the ground.'

Wildlife experiences get risky during race

The accident took place somewhere 45 miles into the 105-mile build-up of the Adelaide Hills. Two giant kangaroos sprang into the road, right into the middle of the peloton, knocking over a number of the cyclists.

The scene was said to have been 'unbelievable,' with some of the riders narrating how the animals threw themselves in front of the peloton. There were video recordings of the animals jumping out of the road and hitting cyclists at high speed.

British cyclist Matthew Brennan was not one of the kangaroos' victims, but his teammate, Menno Huising, was. 'You can't really predict two kangaroos jumping across the road. I hope everyone is alright,' he told reporters.

'They were quite big. I wasn't expecting that. I just looked to the right and I saw this big animal. I thought 'oh, you're not meant to be here,' he continued. 'All the Aussie boys were like 'they come in pairs' and then all of a sudden the second one comes along and decides he's going to throw himself in front of the peloton.'

'So we had two sacrificial kangaroos today'

Live commentator Phil Liggett was heard saying, 'Oh, it's a kangaroo! Never seen that before!'

Race-winner Jay Vine, Menno Huising, Lucas Stevenson, Mikkel Bjerg, Juan Molano and, Alberto Dainese were among the affected cyclists.

Vine, who was leading the race, was thrown off his bike but was able to get up and exchange two bikes before getting back into the race with approximately 57 miles to go. Huising, Stevenson, and Dainese, among three riders, had to drop out of the race because of injuries.

Reports also indicated that one of the kangaroos sustained injuries in the event and was euthanised later by the wildlife authorities. The injuries that the cyclists were involved in were not reported as serious by the officials.

Risk of Australian wildlife and racing

It has long recognised by experts and commentators that kangaroos pose a danger in the rural and semi-urban Australian environment. Race commentators pointed out that animals and birds tend to lie across roads at any time, particularly in areas where they hide in the bushes until the end.

The accident highlighted the unpredictability of racing in Australia, where interaction with local wildlife can cause dangerous situations to the participants.

Vine, who is an Australian rider and the race winner made a comment on the case stressing the fact that, kangaroos are dangerous to athletes. He later won the stage getting his second victory at Tour Downunder in three years.

'It's one of those things, bad luck, luckily I'm OK and glad I'm able to hold onto the (winning) jersey,' Vine said.

The UCI world tour started with the Tour Down Under with Vine securing the victory as the conclusion of an unusual and dramatic race with wildlife surprises. The accident was a wake-up call to the dangers of Australian outdoor sports, particularly in the countryside, where native animals are free to roam around.