(CNN) A breakaway female cyclist was forced to stop during a prestigious race in Belgium after she started to catch up with the men's competition, which had started 10 minutes earlier.

Swiss cyclist Nicole Hanselmann described it as an "awkward moment" when she was held up in Saturday's Omloop Het Nieuwsblad race after she broke away from the women's pack and caught up with the men's support vehicles.

She had developed a two-minute lead 30 kilometers (18 miles) into the 120-kilometer (75-mile) race when officials asked the 27-year old former Switzerland road champion -- and the women's race -- to stop at a level crossing until the gap with the men's race was restored.

The racing event's official Twitter account reported the "neutralization of our women race at railroad crossing in Sint-Denijs-Boekel... due to a very slow mens race."

Neutralisation of our women race at railroad crossing in Sint-Denijs-Boekel in #OHNWomen #ohn19 due to a very slow mens race. riders will restart with same timings — OmloopHetNieuwsblad (@OmloopHNB) March 2, 2019

Hanselmann was permitted to resume after a five-minute pause, but ended up finishing 74th. She said the interruption had ruined her momentum.