‘Sidequest’ – Noah Hobbs saved by local fan after getting lost during Omloop Het Nieuwsblad

Briton Noah Hobbs (EF Education-EasyPost), racing Omloop Het Nieuwsblad for the first time on Saturday, had to get help from a local man after getting lost after a puncture and mechanical.

“This guy picked me up and took me here. He’s a good guy. Without him, I think I’d still be somewhere in Belgium,” Hobbs said in a team video on Instagram.

In the days before cell phones and race radios during his first Milan-San Remo in 1985, American Davis Phinney was dropped from the race and then found himself stranded on an Italian autostrada asking for help at a toll booth.

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Fortunately, the vast majority of the time, pro cyclists remain safely within the confines of the race route.

Chances are that Hobbs won’t ever forget his first participation in Opening Weekend.

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