tour de france crash 2023

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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Tour de France teams ask fans to behave better after mass pileup in 15th stage

Belgium’s Nathan van Hooydonck crashed during the fifteenth stage of the Tour de France cycling race over 179 kilometers (111 miles) with start in Les Gets Les Portes du Soleil and finish in Saint-Gervais Mont-Blanc, France, Sunday, July 16, 2023. (AP Photo/Daniel Cole)

A rider lies on the tarmac after a crash in the pack during the fifteenth stage of the Tour de France cycling race over 179 kilometers (111 miles) with start in Les Gets Les Portes du Soleil and finish in Saint-Gervais Mont-Blanc, France, Sunday, July 16, 2023. (AP Photo/Daniel Cole)

Doctors tend to Belgium’s Nathan van Hooydonck who crashed during the fifteenth stage of the Tour de France cycling race over 179 kilometers (111 miles) with start in Les Gets Les Portes du Soleil and finish in Saint-Gervais Mont-Blanc, France, Sunday, July 16, 2023. (AP Photo/Daniel Cole)

France’s Adrien Petit bears the marks of a crash as celebrates his most combative rider award of the fifteenth stage of the Tour de France cycling race over 179 kilometers (111 miles) with start in Les Gets Les Portes du Soleil and finish in Saint-Gervais Mont-Blanc, France, Sunday, July 16, 2023. (AP Photo/Daniel Cole)

Slovenia’s Tadej Pogacar, wearing the best young rider’s white jersey, , Denmark’s Jonas Vingegaard, wearing the overall leader’s yellow jersey, and Spain’s Carlos Rodriguez climb during the fifteenth stage of the Tour de France cycling race over 179 kilometers (111 miles) with start in Les Gets Les Portes du Soleil and finish in Saint-Gervais Mont-Blanc, France, Sunday, July 16, 2023. (Etienne Garnier/Pool Photo via AP)

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SAINT-GERVAIS MONT-BLANC, France (AP) — Tour de France overall leader Jonas Vingegaard is calling on fans to behave better at cycling’s biggest race after another mass crash marred the 15th stage on Sunday.

“I’d like to tell the spectators to enjoy the race and be there to cheer for us without standing on the road or pouring beers on us,” Vingegaard said. “Please, just enjoy the race.”

The Danish rider leads Tadej Pogacar of Slovenia by only 10 seconds with the race about to enter its final week.

The incident, which involved around two dozen riders, led to appeals from several teams at the Tour.

“Please be careful. So that the party remains a party for the riders, but also for you. You don’t need a cell phone to create mind-blowing memories,” the Cofidis team said amid unverified reports that the spectator who caused the crash was taking a selfie.

The Ineos Grenadiers team said “please give the riders room to race.”

A day after a big pileup forced several riders to abandon, the latest accident occurred after 52 kilometers (32 miles) when a spectator on the side of the road inadvertently touched American rider Sepp Kuss — a key teammate of Vingegaard — and sent him to the ground.

Fans gathering on the sides of roads and in villages as riders pass by is part of the tradition — and charm — of the Tour, but many spectators can take too many risks, including when they run alongside riders in mountain ascents.

Jumbo-Visma said Dylan van Baarle and Nathan van Hooydonck were among those who hit the tarmac on Sunday. Vingegaard was riding close to his teammates but escaped unscathed.

“The team felt pretty good today, although we of course had this crash that affected some of my teammates,” Vingegaard said.

Organizers also asked fans to “pay attention to the riders” after the incident which did not lead to any withdrawals.

Two years ago, a spectator brandishing a large cardboard sign while leaning into the path of oncoming riders led to a massive pileup during the opening stage.

Dutch veteran Wout Poels soloed to victory Sunday after the tough trek in the Alps.

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Fan causes massive peloton crash in tdf stage 15.

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Fan causes huge crash at Tour de France 2023 that sends riders ‘down like skittles’ on Stage 15

Updated 16/07/2023 at 13:58 GMT

For the second day in a row, there was a huge crash at the Tour de France. It appeared as though a fan clipped a Jumbo-Visma rider, who then careered into the peloton. It happened towards, but not right at, the front of the bunch, and the rider who was originally clipped by the fan appeared to be Sepp Kuss. Stream the 2023 Tour de France live and on-demand on discovery+ and eurosport.com

Fan causes huge crash that sends riders ‘down like skittles’

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Mark Cavendish Abandons 2023 Tour de France on Stage 8

The Manx Missile will end his career tied with Eddy Merckx for the all-time Tour de France stage wins record.

Mark Cavendish abandoned the 2023 Tour de France after a Stage 8 crash, prematurely ending his final Tour. Cavendish is tied with Eddy Merckx at 34 Tour de France stage wins—the most in history.

Cavendish was involved in a crash in the peloton and was lying on the ground, holding his clavicle. He was unable to finish the stage and officially made the decision to withdraw.

His abandonment comes one day after Cavendish nearly won a Stage 7 sprint, but an apparent mechanical issue cost him a shot at sole possession of the record.

Cavendish, now 38, broke into professional cycling in 2005. A few years later, he won his first Tour de France stage on Stage 5. He added three more stage victories during that 2008 Tour, establishing himself as the premiere sprinter in the world. In 2011, he won both the green jersey points competition at the Tour de France and the rainbow jersey as world champion.

Cav won TdF stages in 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2015, 2016, and 2021. In 2021, Cavendish enjoyed a comeback season, winning three stages to tie with Merckx for the all-time record.

In 2022, Cavendish was left off the Deceuninck–Quick-Step team for the Tour de France in a controversial decision by team manager Patrick Lefevere, so he didn’t get his shot to break Merckx’ record. He left the Quick-Step squad at the end of last year, and after months of contract speculation, he signed with Astana Qazaqstan for the 2023 season.

Dan is a writer and editor living in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and before coming to Runner’s World and Bicycling was an editor at MileSplit. He competed in cross country and track and field collegiately at DeSales University.

.css-1t6om3g:before{width:1.75rem;height:1.75rem;margin:0 0.625rem -0.125rem 0;content:'';display:inline-block;-webkit-background-size:1.25rem;background-size:1.25rem;background-color:#F8D811;color:#000;background-repeat:no-repeat;-webkit-background-position:center;background-position:center;}.loaded .css-1t6om3g:before{background-image:url(/_assets/design-tokens/bicycling/static/images/chevron-design-element.c42d609.svg);} Tour de France

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Recovery time unclear for Jonas Vingegaard after successful collarbone surgery

Dane remains in Spanish hospital after horrific Itzulia Basque Country crash, still too early to decide on Tour de France

Jonas Vingegaard (Visma-Lease a Bike) has successfully undergone surgery after being involved in the horror crash on stage 4 of Itzulia Basque Country . 

The Dane’s first procedure was reportedly for his pneumothorax, which needed to take place before his fractures were treated completely. Visma-Lease a Bike confirmed on Tuesday morning that the operation on his broken collarbone was also successful.

“Jonas had a successful operation on his collarbone,” said the Dutch team.

“He will now spend the next few weeks recovering. It is not yet clear how long this will take. He is doing well and expresses his gratitude to everyone for their kind words over the past few days.”

Primoz Roglic free of fractures after horrific crash, Vingegaard update reveals collapsed lung Jonas Vingegaard suffers broken collarbone, ribs, Evenepoel fractures clavicle, scapula in Itzulia Basque Country crash Tour de France champion Jonas Vingegaard, Remco Evenepoel, Primoz Roglic among injured in serious crash during Itzulia Basque Country

Vingegaard was involved in the mass high-speed crash on stage 4 of the Basque race which also saw Remco Evenepoel (Soudal-QuickStep) break his collarbone and scapula and Primož Roglič (Bora-Hansgrohe) abandon the race from his injuries. 

The two-time Tour de France winner was among the worst injured and left the race on a stretcher while on oxygen, after staying down from the crash without changing position. Initial reports confirmed his clavicle and rib fractures before a later update revealed his pulmonary contusion and pneumothorax.

According to AS , Vingegaard will remain under surveillance at the Txagorritxu Hospital’s ICU in Vitoria until he is further recovered. The team’s statement also confirmed that it could take several weeks before the Dane is back on his bike.

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With such a serious injury, Vingegaard’s participation at this year’s Tour de France has been plunged into doubt and it remains to be seen whether he can reach anywhere close to top form before the race kicks off in Florence on June 29. 

Sportive Director Merijn Zeeman has already confirmed that the Vingegaard's planned altitude camp in Spain in May won't take place and that alternate schedules will have to be discussed if he is to chase a third title in a row at the Tour.

“It's getting relatively better every day, but he is still in the hospital. That says enough,” said Zeeman to HLN . “Jonas only goes to the Tour if he is 100%. 

“Jonas will miss the altitude training camp on the Sierra Nevada from May 6. If he goes to the Tour, we will have to do it via a different route. If it doesn't work, we'll have to come up with a different scenario.”

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James Moultrie is a gold-standard NCTJ journalist who joined Cyclingnews as a News Writer in 2023 after originally contributing as a freelancer for eight months, during which time he also wrote for Eurosport, Rouleur and Cycling Weekly. Prior to joining the team he reported on races such as Paris-Roubaix and the Giro d’Italia Donne for Eurosport and has interviewed some of the sport’s top riders in Chloé Dygert, Lizzie Deignan and Wout van Aert. Outside of cycling, he spends the majority of his time watching other sports – rugby, football, cricket, and American Football to name a few.

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Tour de France champ Vingegaard has collapsed lung after crash

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Two-time defending Tour de France champion Jonas Vingegaard remained hospitalized in Spain a day after he broke his collarbone and several ribs in a bad crash with other top riders during the Tour of Basque Country.

The Danish rider's Visma-Lease A Bike team said Friday that further tests revealed the Vingegaard also suffered a collapsed lung and a pulmonary contusion. The team said that cycling's leading star was "stable and had a good night" but remains in a hospital in the northern Spanish city of Vitoria.

The accident comes less than three months before the start of the Tour on June 29 when Vingegaard is scheduled to to again face off against top rival Tadej Pogačar. That highly anticipated rematch is now in doubt.

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Vingegaard was hardly moving as he was put in an ambulance wearing an oxygen mask and neck brace after the crash occurred on Thursday with less than 30 kilometres left in the race's fourth stage.

The pileup also took out cycling stars Primož Roglič and Remco Evenepoel.

Evenepoel, considered one of the favourites for the road race at the Paris Games, broke a collarbone and his right shoulder blade and was set to undergo surgery when he returns to Belgium on Friday, his Soudal Quick-Step team said.

The accident happened as riders were making what looked to be a conventional right-hand turn going downhill when one rider's front tire appeared to slip out and send other cyclists off the road. There were some large rocks and trees in the area, though it wasn't clear if any of the riders hit them. There was also a concrete drainage ditch place on the edge of the curve.

Roglič, a three-time Spanish Vuelta winner, emerged with just scratches but he did have to abandon the race he was leading.

Vingegaard was trying to defend the tittle he won last year at the six-day Tour of Basque Country.

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Vingegaard Has Collapsed Lung After Crash in Basque Country Race. Tour De France Defense Is in Doubt

Two-time defending Tour de France champion Jonas Vingegaard remained hospitalized in Spain on Friday, one day after he broke his collarbone and several ribs in a bad crash with other top riders during the Tour of the Basque Country

Fabio Ferrari

Denmark's Jonas Vingegaard pedals on his way to win the fifth stage of the Tirreno Adriatico cycling race, from Torricella Sicura to Valle Castellana, Italy, Friday, March 8, 2024. Two-time defending Tour de France champion Jonas Vingegaard remained hospitalized in Spain a day after he broke his collarbone and several ribs in a bad crash with other top riders during the Tour of Basque Country. (Fabio Ferrari/LaPresse via AP, File)

BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — Two-time defending Tour de France champion Jonas Vingegaard remained hospitalized in Spain on Friday, one day after he broke his collarbone and several ribs in a bad crash with other top riders during a chaotic Tour of the Basque Country.

The Danish rider’s Visma-Lease A Bike team said further tests revealed that Vingegaard also sustained a collapsed lung and a pulmonary contusion during the crash in Thursday's fourth stage. The team said cycling’s leading rider was “stable and had a good night” but remains in a hospital in the northern Spanish city of Vitoria.

The accident came less than three months before the start of the Tour de France on June 29, when Vingegaard was scheduled to again face off against his leading rival, Tadej Pogačar. The highly anticipated rematch of former champions is now in doubt.

There was more carnage at the weeklong Tour of the Basque Country on Friday, when Mikel Landa and Soudal Quick-Step teammate Gil Gelders crashed in the fifth stage. Landa, the runner-up in the race in Spain a year ago, was put into a neck brace and taken away on a stretcher.

"(Landa) was taken to the local hospital where X-rays revealed that he has suffered a fracture to his clavicle. He will now undergo further investigation to determine the best path for his recovery,” Soudal Quick-Step said later Friday.

Romain Gregoire of Groupama-FDJ won Friday's stage in a reduced sprint. Mattias Skjelmose of Lidl-Trek remained in the overall lead heading into the final stage Saturday, which features a hard climb that could shake up the general classification.

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Vingegaard was hardly moving Thursday when he was put into an ambulance wearing an oxygen mask and neck brace after the harrowing crash with less than 30 kilometers (18.6 miles) remaining in the stage. The pileup also took out Primoz Roglič and Remco Evenepoel, along with several other riders, many of whom needed treatment in hospitals.

Evenepoel broke a collarbone and his right shoulder blade and was set to undergo surgery when he returns to Belgium on Friday, Soudal Quick-Step said. Evenepoel said in a post on social media that “obviously my plans for the short future will change but I hope and think that my long-term goals will not change.”

The 24-year-old Evenepoel, a former road race world champion and the reigning time trial champ, is scheduled to make his Tour debut this summer before he participates in both of those events at the Paris Olympics.

Roglic, a three-time Spanish Vuelta winner, emerged with just scratches, according to his BORA-Hansgrohe team, but the reigning Olympic time-trial champion nevertheless had to abandon the race he was leading.

The accident happened Thursday as riders were making what appeared to be a conventional right-hand, downhill turn. One rider's front tire appeared to slip out and send other cyclists off the road. There were some large rocks and trees in the area, though it wasn’t clear if any of the riders hit them, along with a concrete drainage ditch on the edge of the curve.

Race director Julián Eraso said the accident was a surprise since the organizers considered the curve to be “easy” to handle.

“You never know where an accident can occur,” Eraso told Spanish radio Cadena SER. “This year the roads were good, wide, easy roads. That curve to the right was easy … (and) there was an indication a few meters before to let riders prepare for it.”

AP Sports Writer Dave Skretta contributed to this report.

AP sports: https://apnews.com/sports

Copyright 2024 The  Associated Press . All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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Vingegaard 'conscious' after bad crash in Tour of the Basque Country

T wo-time Tour de France champion Jonas Vingegaard was "conscious"in hospital his team said following a mass crash which resulted in stage four of the Tour of the Basque Country race being neutralised on Thursday.

Danish Visma-Lease a Bike rider Vingegaard, Remco Evenepoel, Jay Vine and Steff Cras were among several riders who were taken to hospital following the incident, while Primoz Roglic was also involved in the crash and did not finish the stage.

Several of the 12 riders involved in the crash fell into a concrete ditch after sliding off on a corner with around 35 kilometres to go in the run from Etxarri Aranatz to Legutio, in northern Spain.

The 2022 and 2023 Tour de France champion Vingegaard was taken to an ambulance on a stretcher, while Belgian Evenepoel was walking but his team Soudal Quick Step confirmed he was also going to hospital.

"Jonas is conscious and will be examined in the hospital now," Visma said on X, formely known as Twitter.

"Thank you for your messages. More updates later," they added of their 27-year-old star.

Roglic, who also abandoned the race, offered a thumbs up to television cameras while sitting in the Bora-Hansgrohe team car, to show he was not significantly injured.

UAE Team Emirates said their Australian rider Vine was also taken to hospital but was conscious and talking, along with Team TotalEnergies rider Cras.

The crash happened on the descent from the Alto de Olaeta after a rider in the front of the peloton slid off the road on a right-hand bend.

A six-man breakaway were allowed to continue to try and race for the stage win in the final 18km.

"The race is neutralised until the finish line, the six leading riders will compete in the stage but the stage times will not be counted for the general classification," race organisers said.

"The bunch will go in neutral until the finish line," he added.

Earlier Thursday Roglic's team-mate Lennard Kamna was in a "stable condition" in intensive care after a collision with a car during a training ride in Tenerife.

Roglic, who also fell on Wednesday in stage three but quickly recovered, was leading the overall standings from Evenepoel by seven seconds at the start of racing on Thursday.

Friday's fifth and penultimate stage is a 175.9km ride north from Vitoria-Gasteiz to Amorebieta-Etxano.

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Jonas Vingegaard’s Tour de France defence in doubt after Basque crash

• 2022 and 2023 winner fractures collarbone and scapula
• Twelve riders crash on fourth stage of Basque tour

The Tour de France champion, Jonas Vingegaard, was taken to hospital with a broken collarbone after a serious crash on stage four of the Itzulia Basque Country.

Vingegaard also suffered several broken ribs from the high-speed accident that also included Remco Evenepoel and Primoz Roglic among a group of 12 affected riders. “It was a nasty crash, but fortunately he is stable and conscious. He remains in hospital as a precaution. Thank you for all your messages,” Vingegaard’s team Visma-Lease a Bike said in a statement.

Six riders went to hospital after the incident, including the Australian Jay Vine, who was diagnosed with a fractured cervical vertebra and two fractures in his thoracic spine. “Fortunately, there were no neurological problems and there are no other serious injuries or skull injuries,” Vine’s UAE Team Emirates said in a statement.

Evenepoel’s team Soudal-QuickStep revealed the Belgian must undergo surgery on a fractured collarbone and fractured scapula. Roglic was the least affected of the big-name trio involved and he headed for the team car having received medical attention. The incident took place when the peloton was descending around a tight right-hand bend with less than 40km of the stage to go, one riding sliding out of the road and on to the bank, sparking a chain reaction as more followed.

The race was then neutralised until the finish, with only the six riders who had been at the front being allowed to sprint for the finish to try to win the stage, victory eventually going to the underwhelmed South African Louis Meintjes, who admitted it was a hollow triumph.

“It’s a sad day. I wish all the guys who crashed all the best and wish them a fast recovery,” Mattias Skjelmose, who took the overall race lead from Roglic, said at the finish. “My mind is with the guys who crashed, and right now I am not thinking about the leader’s jersey.”

Vingegaard won the Tour de France in 2022 and 2023 but with this year’s event starting on 29 June, doubt now hangs over his ability to defend his crown.

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