crash today tour de france

Spectator causes major Tour de France crash on stage 15

The Tour de France has suffered its second major crash in as many days, this time caused by a rider coming into contact with a spectator.

Aerial footage from the host broadcaster showed American rider Sepp Kuss — riding for Jumbo-Visma — hitting the arm of a spectator with roughly 129km left on stage 15 of the race.

After hitting the spectator, Kuss then hit his teammate Nathan Van Hooydonck, who bore the brunt of the crash as he crumpled to the road resulting in a pile-up behind him.

Van Hooydonck was able to get back onto his bike and continue, with blood visible on his body.

Several riders were caught up in the crash, including Colombian Egan Bernal who won the race in 2019.

There were no abandonments as a result of the crash, despite several riders showing signs of injury.

In a statement on social media, Jumbo-Visma urged spectators to be mindful when the riders pass by. 

"Please be always aware when watching cycling at the side of the road," they said. 

While the crash was a major moment for the Jumbo-Visma team, their main rider and race leader Jonas Vingegaard was able to narrowly avoid the carnage.

Vingegaard's main rival, two-time champion Tadej Pogačar also avoided the crash as well as Australian Jai Hindley, who entered the stage fourth in the general classification.

There was a major crash early on stage 14 , which led to a stoppage of approximately 20 minutes as several riders were assessed by medical staff.

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Mass crash gives jai hindley a literal 'pain in the arse' as he drops off tdf podium.

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Spectator arrested for allegedly causing massive Tour de France crash

Three riders withdrew from the race, according to the organizers.

PARIS -- After a four-day search, a woman was arrested Wednesday as part of the investigation into a large crash at the Tour de France earlier last week, according to local prosecutors.

The 30-year-old suspect turned herself into police and expressed feelings "of shame, of fear, in the face of the consequences of her act," public prosecutor Camille Miansoni said Thursday. She is "distressed by the media coverage of what she calls 'her blunder,'" added Miansoni.

Prosecutors said police would take measures "proportionate to the seriousness of the facts and to the personality of the author."

The woman is accused of causing a large crash by holding a sign in front of cyclists in the opening stage of the competition on Saturday. She had allegedly left the scene before authorities arrived. Her cardboard sign read "allez opi-omi," meaning "go grandma-grandpa" in German.

After the crash, three riders withdrew from the race due to their injuries, according to the Tour's organizers, including German cyclist Jasha Sütterlin of Team DSM.

"Following the crash, he was taken to hospital for examinations which revealed no broken bones, but a severe contusion to his right wrist that will require further examinations back at home," Team DSM said in a statement about Sütterlin, who admitted he was "so disappointed."

Tony Martin, a member of top Tour contender Primoz Roglic's Jumbo Visma squad, hit the woman on the right side of the road, causing a domino effect for riders inside the peloton.

The first fall was followed by another, which injured four-time Tour de France winner Chris Froome.

Riders briefly halted the race on Tuesday to protest against the danger caused by spectators who were too close to the road.

"Following the crashes during the third stage of the Tour de France, the riders have been discussing how they wish to proceed to show their dissatisfaction with safety measures in place and demand their concerns are taken seriously," the riders' union, the Cyclistes Professionnels Associés, said in a statement. "Their frustration about foreseeable and preventable action is enormous."

MORE: French authorities investigate pile up crash at the Tour de France

The local chief of police Nicolas Duvinage on Thursday called for calm in a press conference, saying the suspect was trying to send a message on TV to her grandparents and that it is "wise not to carry out a media lynching."

Fearing a backlash, Tour de France organizers decided to drop their suit against the fan in question and withdrew their complaint "for the sake of appeasement ... in the face of the excitement on social media," said Tour director Pierre-Yves Thouault. "We don't want to look like we are flogging a dead horse. But we remind you of the safety rules."

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Tour De France Officials Search For Spectator Who Caused Massive Crash

Race officials plan to file a lawsuit against the female spectator who caused the pileup when she stepped onto the road in the first stage of the race on Saturday.

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Fan with sign causes massive wreck during first stage of 2021 Tour de France

The 2021 Tour de France got off to a crash-filled start Saturday. Cyclist Tony Martin rode into a fan holding a cardboard sign Saturday during the first stage, which began in Brest, France. The fan, who appeared to be trying to get on TV, was in the road and took out nearly an entire peloton of riders.

"It was stressful," said former Tour de France champion Geraint Thomas, via The Associated Press . "I was just concentrating on staying on my bike, basically. Happy to get through it."

The worst Tour de France crash I've ever seen pic.twitter.com/1jngQE1pYg — daniel (@cyclingreporter) June 26, 2021

A huge crash at #TDF2021 this morning was caused when a spectator held out a sign and struck a rider. Jasha Sütterlin was forced to withdraw from the race due to an injury sustained in the crash, according to @LeTour . pic.twitter.com/XCcEjHRAGp — NBC Sports (@NBCSports) June 26, 2021

It was the first of two pileups in the stage. The Tour de France's official Twitter account later cautioned fans to protect the cyclists while enjoying the event.

"Don't risk everything for a photo or to get on television!" the tweet said .

Former world champion Julian Alaphilippe was involved in the first crash but stayed on his bike and went on to win the stage.

Remco Evenepoel's Tour de France ambitions back on track after high-speed Itzulia crash

T hree weeks on from fracturing collarbone and scapula at Itzulia Basque Country, Remco Evenepoel (Soudal-QuickStep) is back in training in preparation for his debut at the Tour de France . 

The Belgian star posted the first activity to his Strava account since the horrific crash, which also left two-time defending Tour champion Jonas Vingegaard (Visma-Lease a Bike) with a pneumothorax, broken collarbone and ribs.

“On my way back,” Evenepoel titled a 98.7km ride near into Flanders from home to the west of Brussels. 

Evenepoel's injuries are not as severe as Vingegaard, who only got out of hospital in Spain last week. He was swiftly back in Belgium for collarbone surgery and recovered quickly, convinced that he can still be ready for the Tour de France Grand Depart on June 29.

The ambitious, but realistic 24-year-old, stated earlier this season that reaching the Tour de France podium in Nice at the end of July "would be a dream come true".

Evenepoel enjoyed a final day of recovery with a trip to Britain to see Arsenal football match in London. The time trial World Champion then completed a near-three hour 98.75km ride around Schepdaal, where he grew up, at a solid average speed of 34.7km/h. 

The next step on the “#RoadToFrance” as his caption read will see him head to Sierra Nevada for an altitude camp with Soudal-QuickStep. Following this, he will be off to either the Critérium du Dauphiné or Tour de Suisse, depending on fitness, to regain his race rhythm and punch before the Tour kicks off in Florence.

Vingegaard in contrast has been ruled out of attending Visma-Lease a Bike’s upcoming training camp with an appearance at the Tour still in doubt unless he is at his best according to the Dutch team.

If the Dane is to miss out, Evenepoel and Primož Roglič (Bora-Hansgrohe), who also crashed out of Itzulia but without any fractures, would become the top contenders to challenge the former two-time Tour winner Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates).

Evenepoel’s compatriot Wout van Aert (Visma-Lease a Bike) has similarly been making a return to riding on the road since crashing out of Dwars door Vlaanderen in March. The Belgian pair share the same physiotherapist who has overseen their returns to fitness.

Thijs Hertsens from LAB Antwerp is the man looking after the superstars in Belgium and his work hasn’t gone unnoticed with both men returning to the road this week. 

Van Aert was shown on video turning the pedals for the first time since his high-speed crash on Wednesday.

"After working a lot on his mobility, he [Evenepoel] is already back on track,” Hertsens told Sporza earlier this week, clearly aware of how close Evenepoel was to getting back out on the road.

Van Aert has worked with the physiotherapist since his awful crash at the 2019 Tour de France and Evenepoel since his horror incident at the 2020 Il Lombardia.

"Cyclists are hard workers by nature, so it is very pleasant to guide them,” said Hertsens.

Van Aert's goals have been derailed due to his crash but he will switch focus to the Paris Olympics where he and Evenepoel will lead a top-level Belgian team that will want to claim both the road race and the time trial.

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Tour de France Fan Is Fined for Causing Huge Crash in June

The fan’s cardboard sign, held up for television cameras with a message for her grandparents, sent dozens of cyclists tumbling to the ground.

By Aurelien Breeden

PARIS — A French court on Thursday convicted and fined a Tour de France spectator whose cardboard sign caused a pileup of dozens of cyclists during the world-famous competition in June.

The spectator, a 31-year-old woman who has not been publicly identified, was found guilty by a criminal court in Brest of reckless endangerment and involuntarily causing injuries.

The woman, who stepped onto the road during the race and had her back to the cyclists, was fined 1,200 euros, or about $1,350 — far less than the maximum penalties she was facing.

The charges under consideration carried a possible one-year prison term and a fine of €15,000. At the woman’s trial, in October, prosecutors requested a four-month suspended prison sentence. She did not have a previous criminal record.

The crash occurred on June 26 in the Finistère area of Brittany, in western France, less than 30 miles from the finish line in the first of the race’s 21 stages.

The woman, who wore a bright yellow jacket, was facing television cameras and holding a piece of cardboard bearing an affectionate message for her grandparents — longtime fans of the Tour who were watching from Paris — when a German rider, Tony Martin, hit the sign.

Mr. Martin fell to the ground, setting off a cascade of collisions in the middle of the main cluster of cyclists zooming by. Several injured riders were forced to drop out of the competition.

Video of the pileup quickly went viral, focusing intense media scrutiny on the woman, who left the scene before the police could reach her. Prosecutors opened an investigation, and the woman turned herself in four days later.

Crashes caused by reckless spectators or vehicles are not uncommon during professional cycling competitions , in which thousands of cheering fans line roads right next to the cyclists.

During the 2016 Tour, spectators who blocked a television motorcycle created such chaos that the holder of the race leader’s yellow jersey had to briefly head up a mountain pass on foot to try to maintain his lead.

Aurelien Breeden has covered France from the Paris bureau since 2014. He has reported on some of the worst terrorist attacks to hit the country, the dismantling of the migrant camp in Calais and France's tumultuous 2017 presidential election. More about Aurelien Breeden

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Tour de France won't press charges against woman who caused crash

By Elaine Cobbe

July 2, 2021 / 7:31 AM EDT / CBS News

A cycling fan who caused a huge pileup on the opening day of the Tour de France on Saturday handed herself in to police in Brittany this week, but was to likely avoid prosecution as the Tour organizers decided not to press charges.

The woman leaned out into the road in front of the lead pack, holding up a homemade banner for the TV cameras and not looking out for the riders.

German competitor Tony Martin rode right into the banner and was knocked over. He fell sideways, toppling the rider beside him and setting off a domino effect that left most of the pack on the ground or at a standstill behind them.

At least 21 cyclists were injured, including four-time champion Chris Froome of Britain.

GREAT TO SEE SPECTATORS BACK INVOLVED IN SPORTS EH pic.twitter.com/Kwxj8be2Qh — Timothy Burke (@bubbaprog) June 26, 2021

Police did not name the woman, who was in custody on Wednesday. However, local media said she was a 30-year-old Frenchwoman. At first it was thought she was German because her homemade banner was a mix of French and German: "Allez opi omi" or "Go grandpa, grandma."

The woman fled the scene but police appealed to the public for information about her identity after the Tour organizers, ASO, said they would bring a lawsuit against her for involuntarily causing injury through reckless behavior — a charge that carries a $1,770 fine. 

On Thursday, however the ASO said it no longer wanted to press charges, in a bid to calm the situation, but they reminded fans to keep away from the riders.

Elaine Cobbe is a CBS News correspondent based in Paris. A veteran journalist with more than 20 years of experience covering international events, Cobbe reports for CBS News' television, radio and digital platforms.

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‘It’s not like I lost it’: Geraint Thomas on the Giro, crashes and a last Olympic hurrah

The British rider talks about doubling up in the Giro d’Italia and Tour de France, and why cycling can do more in terms of safety

G eraint Thomas heads to the start of 2024’s first Grand Tour, the Giro d’Italia, determined to avenge the bitter tears of a year ago when he lost the race to Primoz Roglic in a dramatic final time trial . “It was a tough and challenging moment, but for me it wasn’t like I had a bad day or did anything drastically wrong,” he says.

“Roglic had a flyer and he deserved to win it. It’s not like I lost it – he won it. It was hard. You lead the Giro for half the race and then you lose by 15 seconds on the final day: it’s a tough one. But then as [the psychologist] Steve Peters would always say: ‘Life’s not fair. Get on with it.’”

Thomas has decided to race in the Giro, which starts in Turin next Saturday, and the Tour de France this summer. “I wanted to go back to the Giro after last year and the Tour is the Tour. In the back of my mind, I’d always thought: ‘Sod it, why don’t I just try to do both …?’”

Also in the back of his mind is one final hurrah in the Olympic Games . “I’d love to do one more Olympics, but I don’t want to go and just get another tracksuit,” he says. “I want to be good enough to be in with a shout of a medal. I’ve got four tracksuits already – I don’t need another one.”

First, though, comes the Giro and the prospect of trying to derail the seemingly unstoppable Tadej Pogacar , the dominant force this spring. “Pogacar is the massive favourite, but stranger things have happened,” Thomas says. “It’s three weeks – it’s different to any other race. Anyone can have a bad day.”

So can the wily seasoned pro derail the Pogacar express? “Possibly,” he replies, “but I’m not one to play mind games. I’ll be doing my thing – try to stay consistent, good and strong all the way through. He’s a racer and he just loves winning. When he retires he’s going to be one of the greatest of all time.”

Speaking as he puts the final touches to his pre-Giro race preparation at the Tour of the Alps, the Welsh rider, like most of his peers, has race safety on his mind after a series of bad crashes sidelined big names such as Jonas Vingegaard – the Tour de France winner in the past two years – Wout van Aert, Remco Evenepoel and Roglic.

“Everyone’s talking about this now because big-name riders have crashed, but it’s been happening for years,” he says. “Racing’s got that danger element already, but I feel like it could do so much more to increase safety. There’s road furniture, traffic calming, kerbs sticking out, all that kind of stuff. That adds an element of danger as well. When you’re in it, if I thought about it, I’d be at the back [of the peloton]. You wouldn’t be racing, you couldn’t do it.”

Thomas’s words prove prophetic. Only 48 hours later during the Tour of the Alps, the Australian rider Chris Harper crashed on a fast descent and slewed head first into an unprotected lamp-post. Fortunately the 29-year-old escaped with only superficial wounds and a concussion. “Ninety per cent of the guys won’t know the roads [in this race],” Thomas says. “You’re going down these descents, flying down them. If this was a new sport, there’s no way it would be allowed.’”

Thomas fully supports the public statement made by the Ineos Grenadiers owner, Jim Ratcliffe, who in mid-April issued a public plea for a ramping up of cycling’s safety protocols. “Cyclists are always going to push things to the limit as they are elite sportsmen,” Ratcliffe said, before urging David Lappartient, the president of the world governing body, the UCI, to “ensure the safety of the sport”.

Lappartient’s recent comments, that “50% of the crashes” are down to what he called the “attitude” of the riders do not sit well with Thomas, even if he acknowledges that some riders take risks he wouldn’t. “I think Lappartient needs to focus more on the 50% he can affect,” Thomas says. “I agree with what he says, but it just doesn’t make sense to me even saying it. That means 50% is still down to him and organisers to do everything they can.”

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Ratcliffe, meanwhile, may have big plans for Manchester United but Thomas says that another Tour de France victory is also on his mind. “Jim really wants to win the Tour,” he says. “Fair play – that is the ultimate and that’s what we’re trying to do. It might take a couple of years, but I still believe that this team can get back there.”

Thomas, a longstanding Arsenal fan, said he and Ratcliffe exchanged messages after the billionaire’s majority acquisition of United became a reality. “When the deal went through, he messaged me on Christmas Eve and said: ‘United’s happening.’ I was like: ‘Ah sweet – I hope you come a strong second to Arsenal.’ He just replied: ‘Ouch.’”

Thomas’s old team principal Sir David Brailsford, although dedicating much of his time to Ratcliffe’s Manchester project, remains in contact. “I get the impression he still massively misses the team,” Thomas says. “It’s his baby really – he started it.

“He’s still really passionate about the sport. He gives me a ring every now and then. He’s still involved but just has a lot of other things going on. It is kind of strange when you see Dave on Sky Sports sat next to Sir Alex Ferguson. But he loves it. He loves a big challenge. He goes all in.”

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Cycling star Evenepoel targets June return from crash ahead of Tour de France and Paris Olympics

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BRUSSELS (AP) — Two weeks after crashing heavily in Spain, two-time world champion Remco Evenepoel said on Friday he’s on track to race again in June ahead of the Tour de France and Paris Olympics.

The Belgian needed surgery after breaking a collar bone and shoulder blade in a crash while descending in the Tour of Basque Country.

Evenepoel will train at high altitude before a planned return to racing at the Critérium du Dauphiné in France from June 2-9 or the week after at the Tour de Suisse, he said in an interview broadcast by his team Soudal–Quick-Step.

He won the worlds time trial last year and the road race in 2022, and should target both Olympic events on the streets of Paris on back-to-back Saturdays — July 27 and Aug. 3. First, he will make his Tour de France debut on June 29.

“It’s going to be something special. Especially the Tour,” Evenepoel said. “It makes it a bit easier to do Tour-Olympics because it’s in the same country, not too far like it was three years ago to go to Tokyo. That was more difficult for a lot of guys.”

Evenepoel raced in both Olympic road events in Japan. He placed ninth in the time trial, more than one minute out of the medals and trailing 2 minutes, 17 seconds behind gold medalist Primož Roglič.

Roglič was caught up in Evenepoel’s crash in Spain and also will miss the one-day classic Liège-Bastogne-Liège on Sunday. Evenepoel won the past two editions of the storied race.

Evenepoel said the early spring injury gave him time to recover like it was a midseason break. It let him spend the Eid al-Fitr holiday last week with his wife Oumi Rayane and her family.

“That was a very beautiful day,” he said. “It’s better to have the injury now than in a couple of weeks. It’s a bit of luck in my bad luck.”

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Pogacar could target historic Grand Tour treble in same year, says Contador

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2024 La Vuelta Femenina: Stage Recaps & Highlights

Check out our up-to-date recaps of the latest Vuelta stages and catch up on all the action.

Stage 2: Buñol to Moncofa, 118.3 km

Stage 3: lucena to teruel, 130.2 km.

Movistar’s Annemiek van Vleuten won last year’s race and became the first woman to win all three of the major women’s stage races (La Vuelta, Tour de France Femmes , and Giro Donne). But she retired at the end of 2023, so there is no chance of a repeat winner.

Stage 1: Valencia to Valencia, 16 km

Sunday’s 16-kilometer team time trial in Valencia, Spain, was flat and fast. This, first and foremost, means we got another look at the Visma-Lease a Bike TT helmets , and we also saw a lot of excellent team action.

It was a tight race throughout, with everyone looking to claim an early general classification lead. But it was Lidl-Trek that took the victory late in the day. The women averaged just under 50 km/h to finish in a time of 19:20. Gaia Realini led across the line and thus will wear the leader’s jersey heading into stage two.

The lead didn’t come without drama. Ellen van Dijk and Elynor Bäckstedt both crashed, slightly holding up their teammates on the approach to the finish. But the American team managed to regroup and push to the line just 0.02 seconds over Visma-Lease a Bike.

“After crashing in the TTT, Ellen [van Dijk] has a wound on her chin, which will require stitches, as well as blows to her right shoulder and left knee. She will be taken to hospital for checks to rule out any fractures. Fortunately, there is no sign of concussion,” shared Lidl-Trek in a statement via social media .

In her post-race interview, when asked if the team would work to hold onto the leader’s jersey, Realini said, “For sure, we will take this jersey and defend it for the next stage.”

Alison Jackson Takes a Stunning Sprint Win

Alison Jackson (EF Education-Cannondale) won stage 2 of the Vuelta Femenina in a reduced sprint after surviving a crash-marred final kilometers. The Canadian beat Blanka Vas (SD Worx-Protime), who finished second, and Karlijn Swinkels (UAE Team ADQ), who finished in third place. After taking the bonus seconds at the finish and in the intermediate sprint, Vas is our new GC leader.

The meat of the action came in the final third of the stage, with bonus points and seconds available at Porte L’Oronet (a Category 3 climb 40 km away from the finish), in the intermediate sprints following the climb, and at the finish line. With such a tight GC standing after Sunday’s team time trial, bonus seconds proved crucial for the green jersey.

Swinkels took the maximum points on the QOM climb. Amanda Spratt (Lidl–Trek) took second, and Gaia Realini (Lidl–Trek) third. Following the climb, Anneke Dijkstra (VolkerWessels) took the first sprint points toward the green jersey, Blanka Vas (SD Worx-Protime) took second, and Grace Brown (FDJ-SUEZ) took third. But it wasn’t a done deal until the sprint to the finish, which came with even more bonus points.

The final kilometers were flat, with some technical turns and damp roads that required some serious bike handling. With three kilometers left, there was a major crash in the peloton, and then another at a roundabout with 2.4 km to go. Tons of riders went down.

Despite the crashes, Jackson delivered a beautiful sprint against a reduced group of riders. In her signature style, the victory was immediately followed by a dancing celebration.

“​​I was in the right position at the right time with teammates to take care of me from beginning to end. And then, we just made the right decisions. Crashes were happening, and I kept safe, playing it smart. At the finish, it was all due to my teammates,” said Jackson in her post-race interview.

Heading into Stage 3, Jackson will wear the green jersey, Vas of SD Worx-Protime will wear the leader’s jersey, and Swinkels of UAE Team ADQ will wear the polka-dot jersey. Lidl-Trek still leads the team classification, followed closely by Visma-Lease a Bike, and SD Worx-Protime.

On the Anniversary of Her First Ever Pro Win, Marianne Vos Takes the Stage Three Victory

Marianne Vos (Visma-Lease a Bike) won Stage 3 of the Vuelta Femenina, sprinting to a clear lead in the final meters after a crash fractured the peloton with 2.4 km to go. The 36-year-old Dutch rider beat Charlotte Kool (dsm-firmenich PostN), who finished second, and Olivia Baril (Movistar), who took third. After securing bonus points in an earlier sprint, Blanka Vas (SD Worx-Protime) maintains the leader’s jersey, and also takes over the green jersey.

Stage 3 was a 131-kilometer medium mountain stage. Riders traveled from Lucena to Teruel with another Category 3 ascent. There was also quite a bit of non-categorized climbing throughout—more than 2,000 meters overall—making the day pretty much relentless.

There were four riders who were unable to start the day because of injuries from yesterday’s crashes. Anna Henderson (Visma-Lease a Bike), Clara Emond (EF Education–Cannondale), Marta Cavalli (FDJ-Suez), and Sabrina Stultiens (VolkerWessels). Emma Norsgaard (Movistar) began the day but also had to abandon due to injury.

Once the climbing started around 30 km into the race, there were only a few breaks until the main event, the Alto Fuente de Robielos, which featured in the men’s 2023 race. Mireia Benito (AG Insurance-Soudal-Quick-Step) crossed the line on the climb first, while Karlijn Swinkels (UAE Team ADQ) was able to maintain the QOM jersey.

Benito took a breakaway move with 85 km to go, and as is her style, she just kept growing that lead. By 50 km to go she had 5 minutes and 20 seconds on the peloton. The Spanish national time trial champion is comfortable on these solo breaks and found her rhyme well ahead of the pack for most of the day.

With 43 km to go, an intermediate sprint came, on which Benito took maximum bonus points, still more than four minutes ahead of the peloton. Then, Grace Brown (FDJ–Suez) made her own solo break, which earned her bonus points in the sprint. The race leader, Blanka Vas (SD Worx-Protime), took the final points. Brown was eventually reeled back into the peloton.

With about 25 km to go, Vos and team Visma-Lease a Bike started putting the hammer down, getting into formation for the final push. With 10 km to go, Benito’s lead was down to 17 seconds, but she battled on. She was finally caught with 7.3 km to go. For her effort on the day, she earned the white jersey.

Just like yesterday, there was a serious crash with just 2.4 km. to go. This fractured the peloton pretty significantly. The final stretch included several roundabouts and tight turns. There was no real organization as the final sprint came together, but with less than 100 meters to go, Vos took a clear lead for the win by 2-3 bike lengths.

On this day in 2006, Marianne Vos took her first-ever pro victory. She now has 252 pro victories. In her post-race interview, Vos said that she was very pleased. “Yesterday, we worked hard and tried hard, and today, we went all-in. All the girls were working really hard for this, and of course, it’s really nice to be able to finish it off, so I'm very happy with this win.”

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Jonas Vingegaard suffers broken collarbone, ribs, Evenepoel fractures clavicle, scapula in Itzulia Basque Country crash

Jay Vine suffers fractured vertebrae in mass fall

Broken vertebrae for Vine

A first update from Visma-Lease a Bike on Jonas Vingegaard, who was amongst multiple fallers in a horrific crash on stage 4 of the Itzulia Basque Country, said that the Dane has broken his collarbone and several ribs and will remain in hospital as a precaution.

A later scan revealed the Tour de France champion suffered a collapsed lung .

Soudal-Quickstep confirmed that Remco Evenepoel has sustained a broken collarbone and scapula in the same crash, while UAE Team Emirates said Jay Vine sustained fractures to three of his vertebrae.

All three Tour de France contenders were among the many riders who fell on a fast downhill curve, in one of the worst mass crashes in recent cycling history.

Defending Itzulia Basque Country champion Vingegaard lay on the ground for several minutes before race footage showed him speaking with medical support and being stretchered away. Visma-Lease, a Bike sports director Frans Maassen, reported later that he was conscious, and the news was later confirmed via Twitter.

It was the first time since Vingegaard has had a serious accident since he first won the Tour de France in 2022.

Itzulia Basque Country 2024 - the complete guide Tour de France champion Jonas Vingegaard, Remco Evenepoel, Primoz Roglic among injured in serious crash during Itzulia Basque Country Itzulia Basque Country: Meintjes wins subdued stage 4 after major crash neutralises peloton

Sports director Addy Engels later added, "Fortunately, he was conscious when we arrived to him. Jonas is now being examined at the hospital. We are waiting for any updates."

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Primož Roglič (Bora-Hansgrohe) was also limping as he headed to the team car, but he later gave a thumbs-up to photographers following the Bora-Hansgrohe vehicle. The Slovenian had already badly grazed his hip and upper leg in a crash on stage 3 but could continue, only for another crash to happen less than 24 hours later.

Remco Evenepoel also fell and abandoned the race, as he was involved in the same crash. The crash happened during a press conference held by Soudal-QuickStep for Paris-Roubaix , and Patrick Lefevere was quick to comment on the possible reasons and consequences.

"The rider on Remco's wheel fell and he probably lost his focus for a moment and also went down," Lefevere argued.

"I don't think he took too many risks; the road seemed very slippery. It could have been worse with all those boulders and trees, but it does seem to have been very serious. It's never a good sign when a rider grabs his shoulder like that.

"It's happened in the worst possible moment, but we're waiting for the medical report."

Before the crash, Evenepoel's next race was set to be Liège-Bastogne-Liège , where he is double defending champion, and  Lefevere would not be drawn on the possible consequences. He was adamant, though, that the Tour remained on the Belgian's program.

"There's still a fortnight to go until Liège and plenty of things [injuries] can be repaired. But if something's broken, then everything stops immediately."

EF Education-EasyPost had two riders come down, Alexander Cepeda and Sean Quinn. Cepeda could continue, but Quinn had to abandon, with a team update revealing that Quinn suffered concussion as well as a sternum fracture, abrasions and bruising. UAE's Jay Vine and TotalEnergies Stef Cras, were also both taken to hospital. After further examination the French team reported that Cras "suffers from a right pneumothorax, several associated rib fractures and two dorsal vertebral fractures, in addition to several hematomas, wounds and dermabrasions".

UAE Team Emirates medical director Adriano Rotunno said Vine has fractures in his spine but ruled out any other serious injuries.

"Jay Vine suffered a heavy crash today during the race and sustained a cervical and two thoracic spine vertebral body fractures. Thankfully no neurological involvement, and there are no other major injuries or head trauma.

"Jay will stay in hospital for neurological observation. We await spinal orthopaedic assessment and further management."

Lidl-Trek confirmed that their rider Natnatel Tesfazion was among the riders who suffered the worst in the large crash at Itzulia Basque Country. The team confirmed that he was transported to hospital by ambulance for all the necessary checks.

"He never lost consciousness, despite the bad crash, but suffered numerous contusions and abrasions on the right part of his body," Lidl-Trek confirmed in a medical update. 

"The medical examinations performed on Natnael revealed no fractures or concussion. Further treatment is currently underway, particularly on the right elbow, the most severe injury sustained by the rider."

🇪🇸 #Itzulia2024Update: Jonas is conscious and will be examined in the hospital now. Thank you for your messages. More updates later. April 4, 2024

No appetite for racing

After such a devastating crash, in any case, there was little appetite amongst those left in the peloton to even discuss anything like racing when they reached the finish line in Legutio.

“I didn't see the crash, but I heard a lot of guys are in hospital, this is really a special and sad day,” new race leader Matthias Skjelmose (Lidl-Trek) said in comments later. “I wish all the guys that crashed the best.

“I prefer not to think about the lead, my mind is with the guys that crashed. I’m not thinking about the leader’s jersey now;” Skjelmose, whose teammate Natnael Tesfatsion was amongst those who fell and taken to hospital, said afterwards.

“There were some really bumpy roads, we were fighting for positions and unfortunately. we came a little bit too fast. There was nothing to do, some guys crashed, a lot of guys just followed. It was really unlucky and I don’t think it was anybody’s fault.”

As for why there were so many crashes this week in Basque Country, he argued, “To be honest this race, there’ve been quite a lot. I’m surprised, because I’ve just come from Paris-Nice which is always nervous.

“But I think it’s maybe the [Itzulia] course is a little bit easier this year, and the level is so high so so many guys can be up there fighting for positions. Even if we go crazy numbers on the climbs, there are always 60 guys at the top and that always makes it more nervous. I think there’s not so much to say, that’s how cycling is for now.”

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Alasdair Fotheringham has been reporting on cycling since 1991. He has covered every Tour de France since 1992 bar one, as well as numerous other bike races of all shapes and sizes, ranging from the Olympic Games in 2008 to the now sadly defunct Subida a Urkiola hill climb in Spain. As well as working for Cyclingnews , he has also written for The Independent ,  The Guardian ,  ProCycling , The Express and Reuters .

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Cervélo’s Revamped Áspero Gravel Bike Arrives With a Slimmer, Aerodynamic Silhouette

The chosen bike of the reigning tour de france champions..

Among the countless bike brands – some of which run into the tens of thousands – Cervélo is lauded by many as the most capable and versatile gravel bike , whether on a flat road or a steep climb. Perhaps the best testament to its superior performance is the reigning Visma-Lease a Bike: the team that won the Tour de France in 2022 and 2023 exclusively rides Cervélo models.

Consistently building on its capabilities, the Cervélo team has redesigned its flagship model, the Áspero. Originally rolled out in 2019, the new-and-improved Áspero offers greater comfort and aerodynamic performance.

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FILE PHOTO: Cycling - UCI World Championships 2023 - Stirling, Scotland, Britain - August 11, 2023 Britain's Geraint Thomas in action during the Men's Elite Road Individual Time Trial REUTERS/Maja Smiejkowska

Britain's Geraint Thomas said he hopes to compete at the Paris Olympics this summer but only if he feels capable of winning another medal.

Thomas, who won the Tour de France in 2018, competed in the road race at the Tokyo and Rio Games but was involved in crashes at both events.

However, the 37-year-old has had more success on the track, winning team pursuit gold at the 2008 and 2012 Olympics.

"I'd love to do one more Olympics, but I don't want to go and just get another tracksuit," Thomas told the Guardian in an interview published on Sunday.

"I want to be good enough to be in with a shout of a medal. I've got four tracksuits already - I don't need another one."

Thomas also weighed in on rider safety, which has become a talking point in the sport after a crash involving two-times Tour de France champion Jonas Vingegaard, Primoz Roglic and Remco Evenepoel among others brought fresh scrutiny on cycling's governing bodies.

"Everyone's talking about this now because big-name riders have crashed, but it's been happening for years," Geraint said.

"Racing's got that danger element already, but I feel like it could do so much more to increase safety. There's road furniture, traffic calming, kerbs sticking out, all that kind of stuff.

"When you're in it, if I thought about it, I'd be at the back (of the peloton). You wouldn't be racing, you couldn’t do it."

The Welshman will lead the Ineos Grenadiers team at the Giro d'Italia, which begins in Turin on May 4 and finishes in Rome on May 26.

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