Two French juniors were left red-faced when their prolonged arm-in-arm victory celebration backfired after a rival came from behind and rode past them just before the line.
Rémi Arsac and Charly Merle of the EC Saint-Étienne Loire Junior were delighted with their work at the of the Critérium de Saint-Symphorien-sur-Coise and were determined to share the spoils.
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The rode up the finishing straight, apparently with nobody else in contention, with their arms around each other in celebration at their performance.
However, Simon Ruet (VC Villefranche Beaujolais), who the duo had just dropped, came back from the dead. He clearly never gave up despite being distanced and when the leading duo took their foot off the gas to enjoy their moment, Ruet ducked into a passed them just before the finish line.
Even though roadside spectators tried to warn the two leaders that Ruet was coming, they seemed more focused on their celebration at the end of the race.
Ruet was clearly delighted with his comeback, as Arsac and Merle looked at each other stunned. They really threw it away as they next riders were four minutes back.
