Among the things you don't want to meet while descending at speed is a bear. But that's what happened to Quick Step Floors rider Matteo Trentin over the weekend while training in California.
The two-time Tour de France stage winner - who also has a stage of the Giro d'Italia among his palmares - posted a picture of his shattered helmet to Instagram, along with a brief description of what had happened.
The 27-year-old Italian, who rode in the Tour of California earlier this month then stayed to train in the Lkae Tahoe area, wrote: "Always wear a helmet fellas!!it can also happen that during training a bear cross your path when you are in a fast downhill.
"No space to brake so i got an accident with him!! He wasnt a fluffy teddybear."
He added: "Thanks @iamspecialized_road for the fast replacement!! On the road again!!"
Encounters between bears and cyclists are not unusual, but typically happen away from roads.
Earlier this month we reported how a mountain biker in Slovakia had filmed a friend of his being chased by a bear on a trail through some woods.