crash 2023 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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Tour de France 2023: Fan taking selfie causes crash on stage 15

• Published 16 July 2023

Egan Bernal, the Tour de France winner in 2019, came down in the crash

A spectator taking a selfie caused a crash of about 20 riders on stage 15 of the Tour de France.

The stage was won by Dutchman Wout Poels as defending champion Jonas Vingegaard maintained his 10-second lead on Tadej Pogacar.

Sepp Kuss, Vingegaard's Team Jumbo-Visma team-mate, had his handlebars knocked by a fan holding out a phone.

Kuss went down with team-mate Nathan van Hooydonck and brought down a large group in the peloton.

"There was a narrowing in the town and a spectator in the road, and I guess he just clipped my handlebars," said Kuss.

"Luckily I'm OK and hopefully the other guys in the crash are all right. It's not ideal.

"I think it's fatigue. It's been such a hard race and everybody is a bit tired. You lose a bit of alertness and there's always things out of your control as well."

All the riders who crashed completed the 179km stage from Les Gets les Portes du Soleil to Saint-Gervais Mont-Blanc.

Dane Vingegaard was unaffected, while stage winner Poels was in the breakaway several minutes up the road.

Stage-by-stage guide and results

'Please pay attention to the riders'

Shortly after the incident, the official Tour Twitter account posted a slow-motion video of a rider ducking under a spectator's outstretched arm with the message: "Please pay attention to the riders."

Jumbo-Visma tweeted: "Please be always aware when watching cycling at the side of the road."

Team Confidis said: "Please be careful. So that the party remains a party for the runners but also for you. You don't need a cell phone to create mind-blowing memories."

Ineos Grenadiers said: "If you are spectating at this amazing event, please give the riders room to race."

The crash took place with about 50km into the stage

One of the Tour's worst crashes involving a spectator occurred in 2021, when a woman holding a sign with a message in German to her grandparents clipped rider Tony Martin on the first stage.

Two riders pulled out and eight others were treated for injuries, including Spain's Marc Soler, who broke both arms.

The woman turned herself in to police and went to court over the incident.

She was ordered to pay a symbolic one euro fine but, after receiving a barrage of abuse, her identity was withheld.

A the time, Tour director Christian Prudhomme said: "We just want people to take care when they come to the Tour and remember they are there to see the champions - and not to get on television."

'We've seen this before' - analysis

Matt Warwick, BBC Sport

Following 2021's 'Omi & Opi' scandal, in which a young woman caused a huge pile-up on stage one of the Tour, riders have been more wary of fans wanting to get close to the action.

Cycling's world governing body the UCI introduced a range of measures , external under the SafeR banner just before this race, which incorporates better assessments of high-speed descents following the death of Gino Mader last month, and more management of crowds.

At the top of the Col de Joux Plane climb on Saturday, Pogacar was held up by motorbikes and penned in by crowds standing inches from their heroes.

Across a season, the list of rider casualties is too long, but road cycling is a unique sport, growing in popularity, and trades on the volatility of competing out in the open.

Poels wins first Grand Tour stage

Wout Poels joined Team Bahrain Victorious in 2020

Poels' stage win was his first in a Grand Tour, with the Team Bahrain Victorious rider finishing two minutes eight seconds ahead of Wout van Aert and Mathieu Burgaudeau in third.

Vingegaard finished alongside Pogacar six minutes and four seconds behind Poels.

Despite attacking inside the final kilometre of the 7km climb to the finish, Slovenian Pogacar, riding for UAE Team Emirates, could not open up a gap on Vingegaard.

Monday is a rest day, before the 21-stage race resumes with a 22.4km time trial from Passy to Combloux on Tuesday.

Stage 15 results

Wout Poels (Net/Bahrain-Victorious) 4hrs 40mins 50secs

Wout van Aert (Bel/Jumbo-Visma) +2mins 8secs

Mathieu Burgaudeau (Fra/TotalEnergies) +3mins

Lawson Craddock (USA/Team Jayco AlUla) +3mins 10secs

Mikel Landa (Spa/Bahrain-Victorious) +3mins 14secs

Thibaut Pinot (Fra/Groupama-FDJ) +3mins 14secs

Guillaume Martin (Fra/Cofidis) +3mins 32secs

Mattias Skjelmose (Den/Lidl-Trek) +3mins 43secs

Simon Guglielmi (Fra/Team Arkea Samsic) +3mins 59secs

Warren Barguil (Fra/ Team Arkea Samsic) +4mins 20secs

General classification standings

Jonas Vingegaard (Den/Jumbo-Visma) 62hrs 34mins 17secs

Tadej Pogacar (Slo/UAE Team Emirates) +10secs

Carlos Rodriguez Cano (Spa/Ineos Grenadiers) +5mins 21secs

Adam Yates (GB/UAE Team Emirates) +5mins 40secs

Jai Hindley (Aus/Bora-Hansgrohe) +6mins 38secs

Sepp Kuss (US/Jumbo-Visma) +9mins 16secs

Pello Bilbao (Spa/Bahrain Victorious) +10mins 11secs

Simon Yates (GB/Team Jayco-AlUla) +10mins 48secs

David Gaudu (Fra/Groupama-FDJ) +14mins 7secs

Guillaume Martin (Fra/Cofidis) +14mins 18secs

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Tour de France crash reportedly caused by fan taking selfie draws pleas for caution

July 17, 2023 / 7:28 AM EDT / AP

Saint-Gervais Mont-Blanc, France —  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 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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Tour de France 2023: Spectator who caused crash while trying to take selfie could face charges, per report

The dutch bicycle racing team jumbo-visma is considering pressing charges against the fan.

The Dutch bicycle racing team Jumbo-Visma is considering pressing charges against the spectator who caused a crash during the 15th stage of the Tour de France while trying to take a selfie, according to Reuters . 

Jumbo-Visma's Sepp Kuss was brought down by a fan who dangerously stretched his arm out for a photo. Kuss lost his balance, leading to a crash that affected around 20 other riders, including Jumbo-Visma cyclists Dylan van Baarle and Nathan van Hooydonck.

Tour de France spectator causes a huge crash in the peloton! #TDF2023 📺: Peacock pic.twitter.com/USu6eUO0o1 — NBC Sports Cycling (@NBCSCycling) July 16, 2023

"There was a narrowing in the town and a spectator in the road, and I guess he just clipped my handlebars," Kuss said,  according to the BBC . "Luckily I'm OK, and hopefully the other guys in the crash are all right. It's not ideal. 

The spectator could reportedly be arrested if Kuss sues him. Reuters asked Jumbo-Visma if he is planning a lawsuit, to which a spokesperson told the outlet, "The team might do. We'll find out how and when."

Dutchman Wout Poels was the winner of Sunday's Stage 15. Meanwhile, Jumbo-Visma's Jonas Vingegaard is entering the final week of the Tour de France with a 10-second lead over Tadej Pogacar of Slovenia. 

Vingegaard called on those watching the race in person to be careful to not put themselves or cyclists in danger.

"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, as reported by the Associated Press . "Please, just enjoy the race."

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Another Year, Another Fan Causing a Serious Crash at the Tour de France

Racer Steff Cras was forced to abandon the race, saying he hopes the people causing these crashes 'feel guilty.' A day later, a fan caused another crash.

After being crashed out on Saturday, Belgian rider Steff Cras (TotalEnergies) was forced to abandon the race. He was sitting in 13th position in the GC, but according to his team, suffered serious contusions on his hip and elbow, though thankfully no broken bones. He said on Twitter: “When a spectator advances more than a meter on the road and does not move when the peloton arrives, it would be better if he stayed at home. You have no respect for riders. I hope you feel guilty. I have to leave the Tour because of you!”

Cras wasn’t the only rider to crash—the fan also took out the GC’s 4th and 11th place riders Simon Yates and Mikel Landa, who lost nearly a minute in the overall GC thanks to that incident.

Sadder still: The situation was repeated on Sunday’s stage when Lilian Calmejane of Intermarche was taken out by a fan tribute pole being waved on course. Impressively, after the crash, he was able to not only catch back up to the peloton, he moved into the race lead until six kilometers to go. His team tweeted that he’ll be able to continue the race, but added a plea to fans to be more cautious.

It’s hard to think of a more ironic situation, a fan so thrilled at being able to cheer on riders that they love, and then taking them out of the race entirely. Hopefully we won’t see any more of these incidents in the remaining weeks of the Tour

Molly writes about cycling, nutrition and training with an emphasis on bringing more women into sport. She's the author of nine books including the Shred Girls series and is the founder of Strong Girl Publishing . She co-hosts The Consummate Athlete Podcast and spends most of her free time biking and running on trails, occasionally joined by her mini-dachshund.

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Tour de France Stage 14 mass crash pauses race

Stage 14 of the 2023 Tour de France came to a halt just 6km in, after a multi-rider pileup affected nearly 50 riders and caused Louis Meintjes and Antonio Pedrero to abandon the race.

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Mark Cavendish breaks collarbone in Stage 8 crash at 2023 Tour de France as record bid ends

Updated 08/07/2023 at 18:34 GMT

Mark Cavendish will finish his career on 34 Tour de France stage wins, tied with Belgian legend Eddy Merckx, after a heartbreaking crash on Stage 8. The Manx Missile was left clutching his shoulder after an innocuous touch of wheels in the peloton caused him to hit the tarmac. It was later confirmed he had broken his right collarbone in the crash, just a day after missing out on a record win.

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Mark Cavendish Out of Tour de France After Crash on Stage 8

• Author: Patrick Andres

British cycling great Mark Cavendish is out of the Tour de France after crashing during the race's eighth stage between Libourne and Limoges, France Saturday morning.

Cavendish, 38, fell off his bike with a little over 60 kilometers to go in the eighth of the race’s 21 stages. He laid on the pavement clutching his arm while several cyclists in the vicinity were forced to put on their brakes; he was eventually loaded into an ambulance before formally dropping out of the competition.

The legendary cyclist had indicated before the race that the 2023 Tour de France would be his last. Cavendish will end his career with 34 stage wins, tied with Eddy Merckx of Belgium for the most in race history.

Cavendish never won cycling's flagship race, but did finish first in its points classification in 2011 and 2021. A four-time gold medalist across the sport's road and track world championships as well as a silver medalist in the 2016 Summer Olympics, Cavendish is widely considered one of the greatest and most versatile cyclists in history.

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Down, Delayed, Almost Alone: Analyzing Demi Vollering’s Tour de France Femmes Crash

Lacking support in chaotic finale, 2023 race winner vollering defends teammate wiebes from criticism..

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It’s the big question thus far at this year’s Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift .

Was there a problem with the SD Worx-Protime tactics Thursday?

Demi Vollering went into the Tour as the clear favorite. She’d dominated four big stage races this spring, she was the defending champion and, following her stage 3 TT victory Tuesday, she was firmly in the race lead.

And then she crashed Thursday, with a lack of team support contributing to her 1:47 deficit at the finish line.

First that morning, dropping to ninth overall: what the heck happened?

“You’re angry about what happened, disappointed, so emotions go all the way,” Vollering told Velo ’s Andy McGrath on Friday . “Mostly, me and the team are very motivated to try to get the yellow back.”

She didn’t elaborate on the reasons for her anger. Was she referring to the crash, or something more?

The accident happened with 6.3km to go, with several riders going down on a high speed bend. Vollering landed on her left hip, slowly got to her feet, seemed dazed, and then resumed riding again 49 seconds later, with the Dutchwoman then needing more time to check herself over, ease out the aches and then get back up to race pace.

She was alone initially, then teammate Mischa Bredewold dropped back with slightly more than 3km to go and pulled hard for her for a minute or more. Bredewold burned all her matches doing that and finished 2:13 behind her teammate.

In terms of possible other support, there were just two other SD Worx-Protime riders ahead of Vollering.

Blanka Vas won the stage, while Lorena Wiebes led in the chase group for eighth. She was 28 seconds behind Vas, and 1:19 in front of the deposed race leader.

Could more have been done? Should more have been done?

‘My radio was not working’

Vas’ victory was the biggest of her career to date, and one which left her in shock at the finish.

Speaking in the post-race press conference, the Hungarian champion said she only learned about Vollering’s situation later.

“My radio was not working, so I didn’t know what happened,” she said. “I just saw nobody was there from the team anymore. I did not know there was a crash.”

Wiebes’ situation was different. Speaking to Sporza , Vollering said that her teammate had collided with her.

She initially thought she would stay upright as the riders in front of her crashed. “But then someone hit me full on the side and I fell anyway.”

She confirmed that was Wiebes, something borne out by TV images which show the collision. “She was on my wheel, she can’t do anything about it.”

What is puzzling is why Wiebes didn’t look for the race leader afterwards.

The two had been deliberately riding together; Vollering had intended working with the sprinter to help her go for the win. “Demi would be my last lead-out on the climb, so I said to Demi ‘I’ll stay with you,’” Wiebes told NOS .

“I have no idea what happened because the moment we turned into the bend they were all on the ground.”

Bizarrely, though, she also may have seen her, albeit without realizing the full picture.

“I was very lucky that I stayed on my bike. When I looked back, I saw something yellow on the ground. That really sucks,” she said.

‘Usually when you have yellow, that is what you focus on’

Kasia Niewiadoma ultimately took over the race lead from Vollering, being one of a small group which pushed on ahead after the crash. She sprinted in second behind Vas and moved to the top of the GC.

Asked Friday what she made of the situation, she was diplomatic in her answer while also indicating surprise.

“It was interesting to learn about everything afterwards and to watch the final and to see that Demi was left without her teammates,” she told Eurosport’s Matt Stephens.

“I don’t know where it was coming from, sometimes during the crashes it is very chaotic and people don’t know what is happening.

“But I also know that usually when you have yellow in the team, this is the only goal and the only target you focus on.”

Speaking to Sporza , SD Worx-Protime DS Danny Stam defended the team.

“It was quite boring all day and then you suddenly hear in the final kilometers that there was a crash,” he said.

“We just realized that it was SD Worx, nothing about the yellow jersey. To my surprise, Demi was there [involved]. Then you have to get back on the bike as soon as possible and to the finish.”

He said that by the time the full situation was realised, it was too late.

“Mischa – a good time trialist – was the only one at the time that could add anything. When everyone realized what was going on, we were already 3 kilometers from the finish.”

That account is puzzling.

Footage from the crash shows Vollering being passed by a SD Worx-Protime team car exactly 40 seconds after her fall. That car slows and pulls in to the side of the road, with one of those inside jumping out with a spare bike.

Vollering rolls past him on her original machine 53 seconds after her fall, staying on her original machine.

She then speaks into the race radio one minute 15 seconds after her crash.

That raises questions. Did the driver of the stopping team car immediately relay to the team that she had fallen? If not, why not?

And even if Vollering’s radio message was the first such notification, that notice going out 1:15 after the crash means that the front riders had covered just over a kilometer from the crash site. That would put them approximately 5km from the finish, not 3.

That should have given time for the team to have reacted, instructing Wiebes to wait.

For the best team in women’s cycling, it all appears rather chaotic.

Vollering defends teammate: ‘Lorena got shit thrown at her’

In retrospect, examining the footage, it seems apparent there was a lag in information becoming available and then being acted upon.

The first delay was with Vollering herself. She could have immediately spoken into the radio, alerting team management and the other riders as to what had happened, but didn’t do so.

The TV images show that she appears disorientated, in shock. That explains her delay in relaying what had happened.

“I fell so hard on my ass, I was shaking and was in pain… It took me a while to get my leg back on my bike,” she explained to Sporza .

What is less clear is why the team car didn’t itself inform the rest of the team and the other riders as soon as it passed her, 40 seconds after the accident.

Or, if it did, why there wasn’t an immediate decision to instruct the riders to wait for her and help.

Vollering was wearing the yellow jersey: there couldn’t have been any confusion as to who it was.

However in his interview with NOS , Stam insisted they didn’t know who was involved.

“We started the chase, we wanted to go for Lorena [Wiebes] today. And then, at six kilometers, you hear about a big fall,” he said.

“We heard our team name, but not that Demi was there. We heard that from Niamh Fisher-Black. Then we had Mischa wait immediately,” he said.

In the era of live TV coverage and race radios, the delay in details is bizarre.

Still, whatever the reason for the breakdown in communications, whatever the outcome of the lack of support, Vollering came to Wiebes’ defence Friday.

“I don’t think we could have done a lot of things differently,” she insisted, speaking on the In het Wiel podcast .

“It was chaotic and it went very fast in the final.

“Lorena got a lot of shit thrown at her. And I really don’t think it’s normal for that to happen.”

“She [Wiebes] has had a really tough Tour so far, so I think we should be a bit nicer to her. She couldn’t do anything about yesterday’s crash. I do think she hit into me, but that can just happen.”

To her immense credit, Vollering doesn’t appear at all critical that her teammate continued riding after the crash.

“I think it’s just logical that Lorena stayed in front because she’s had so much bad luck,” she said.

“I’m also happy that she stayed at the front because there was a possibility it will come back together and then she would have had a chance. Then she would have won it one hundred percent.

“I think it’s even more sad for Lorena that she lost again yesterday. I think we can all support her, because we should be very proud in the Netherlands of a sprinter like Lorena.”

Vollering’s reaction is a compassionate one. Clearly disappointed at the finish to have lost yellow, her instinct is to defend her teammate rather than appropriate blame.

She wants to move on, to chase yellow in the remaining stages.

Speaking on that In het Wiel podcast Friday, she said that she believed her teammates would do everything they could to help the situation.

“Those girls are doing the best they can and I’m sure they’ll be extra fired up for the next few days. And maybe yesterday helped, because they’re all girls with a huge drive in them.

“When something like that happens, they know how to fight back.”

Vollering may be leaving the team at the end of the season, but she seems to have a bond with Wiebes and the other riders.

There’s no hint of blame on her part.

She told NOS she was personally optimistic she could still win the race.

“I’m confident it will be okay. I am very keen to take back the yellow jersey, maybe more than before.”

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Tour de France Femmes abandons – All of the riders who have left the 2024 edition

Keeping a track of the toll that illness and crashes have taken on the peloton in the third edition of the race

The third edition of the Tour de France Femmes takes riders over 946km from Rotterdam to the top of Alpe d'Huez but, with plenty of obstacles along the way, many of the 154 riders that are slated to start will not make it to the end. 

In fact the announcements of the riders having to step away from the race started even before it began, with a positive COVID-19 test for New Zealand's Kim Cadzow on the eve of the event leaving EF-Oatly-Cannondale one rider down and the number of riders in the peloton at the start of stage 1 at 153. Elisa Longo Borghini, on the other hand, was a little earlier in having to pull the pin after a training crash so Lidl-Trek had time to replace the in form Italian rider. The in race crashes, illness, fatigue and time cuts during the race, however, will be final. That will leave some with stage victory hopes shattered, others with lead out trains taxed and overall contenders having to fight for yellow with the odds stacked against them – such is the inevitability of attrition in stage racing. Throughout the eight stages and seven days of racing from Monday August 12 to Sunday August 18 that makes up the third edition of the Tour de France Femmes, Cyclingnews will track the withdrawals, so read on for the latest tally.

There were a number of crashes in the nervous first flat 124km stage from Rotterdam to The Hague but the biggest cause of attrition on day one was the inevitably fierce pace.

Ekaterina Knebeleva, Asal Rizaeva, Mohinabonu Elmurodova and Madina Kakhorova (Tashkent City Women) – DNF As a team that ranked in the top 18, the team from Uzbekistan automatically qualifies for a place in every Women's WorldTour race but most of the riders in the team don't have the depth of experience at the top level found within much of the Tour de France Femmes peloton. The intensity and pace of that hard-fought opening stage proved too much for Ekaterina Knebeleva, Madina Kakhorova as well as 19-year-old Asal Rizaeva and the 18-year-old Mohinabonu Elmurodova, who were the third and second youngest riders on the start line in Rotterdam.

Natalie Grinczer (Roland) - DNF The Tour de France Femmes was Natalie Grinczer's first race back since a nasty crash at La Vuelta Femenina in April which included head trauma and left her with a tough recovery. The British rider made it to the start line but was unable to finish.

There were no withdrawals on the first race of the double-stage day on Wednesday, a 67 km dash from Dordrecht to Rotterdam.

The second outing on Wednesday was a 6.3km time trial, with the number of starters reduced to 147 when one rider was unable to line up. Dilyxine Miermont (St Michel-Mavic-Auber93) - DNS After crashing in the morning stage French rider Dilyxine Miermont had to leave the race, with the 24-year-old's second time at the event being cut short before she got to head into home territory or the stages that played to her strengths.

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Après les chutes du matin, Dilyxine Miermont est contrainte à quitter @LeTourFemmes 🥺 pic.twitter.com/EnCzveaHYB August 13, 2024

Wednesday's stage 4 was the biggest so far for abandons, firstly with a number of riders who had managed to nurse themselves through the double stage day not starting and then more stepping away through the wet and slippery day. In the end ten riders abandoned on the stage from Valkenburg to Liège, leaving the number of riders left in the peloton down to 137.

Christina Schweinberger (Fenix-Deceuninck) - DNS The day may have ended with jubilation for Fenix-Deceuninck after Puck Pieterse won the stage but it started with the announcement on social media that the 27-year-old Austrian Christina Schweinberger would have to pull the pin on her time at the 2024 Tour de France Femmes. "Unfortunately, today we start the avec Zwift with one less rider. "Christina Scheinwberger has been struggling with gastrointestinal complaints since yesterday and since health obviously takes precedence, the medical staff decided to let her recover," said Fenix-Deceuninck. Clara Emond (EF-Oatly-Cannondale) - DNS Illness also hit the EF-Oatly-Cannondale squad, with the team saying that Clara Emond wouldn't be at the start due to a "non-COVID illness". Elise Chabbey (Canyon-SRAM) - DNS A crash in the final kilometre of stage 1 took its toll on Elise Chabbey and while she managed to forge on a for another day afterwards, working through the soreness, she had to pull the pin on Wednesday.

Unfortunately, @e_chabbey won’t start stage 4 of #TDFF2024 as she has not fully recovered from her crash on stage 1. We’re wishing Elise a speedy recovery. 🧡 pic.twitter.com/9rpz6Lx2UX August 14, 2024

Nafosat Kozieva (Tashkent City Women) - DNS The rider from Uzbekistan was unable to line up on stage 4, with the departure of Nafosat Kozieva leaving the team starting in Valkenburg with just two riders.

Martina Alzini (Cofidis) - DNF The first abandon once the tough day of racing got underway was Martina Alzini, who came ninth on stage 2 to Rotterdam.

Debora Silvestri (Laboral Kutxa-Fundación Euskadi) - DNF Gastrointestinal problems brought Debora Silvestri's race to an early end.

Daria Pikulik (Human Powered Health) - DNF It was a sixth for the Olympic silver medallist on the opening stage sprint at the Tour de France Femmes, but Daria Pikulik bowed out during stage 4 as the climbs began and the chances for the sprinters dwindled.

Elyne Roussel (St Michel-Mavic-Auber93) - DNF The second rider to depart for St Michel-Mavic-Auber93, with the absence of Elyne Rousse leaving the team who has Marion Bunel chasing a high position in the youth classification down to six. Maggie Coles-Lyster (Roland) - DNF Even after a fall on day 1, Maggie Coles-Lyster managed to deliver eighth in the stage 2 bunch sprint, however the impact caught up with the Canadian who had to bow out during stage 4. 

Margarita Misyurina (Tashkent City Women) - DNF The final rider to bow out on stage 4 was Uzbekistan's 21-year-old national champion Margarita Misyurina, leaving her Tashkent City Women team with one rider left in the event.

On stage 5 as the race hit French soil for the first time in 2024, it looked like it could be a day where just one rider had to leave the race but the tally grew after a dramatic crash within ten kilometres to go. That caused another two immediate departures but given the number of riders down and nursing injuries to the line it could also have consequences in the coming stages. There were 134 riders left in the race at the end of Thursday's stage.

Špela Kern (Cofidis) - DNF After a crash on Wednesday Špela Kern had lined up for stage 5 with several stitches in her knee. The 34-year-old from Slovenia attempted to race on but had to abandon, leaving the French team with five of its seven riders still in the race. Pfeiffer Georgi (dsm-firmenich PostNL) - DNF The British champion may have had her thoughts on a strong stage result with under ten kilometres to go but was then caught in a crash that also put Demi Vollering (SD Worx-Protime) out of yellow. However, the 2023 race winner could continue to the line but not Pfeiffer Georgi who was clearly one of the hardest hit in the fall which occured on the exit from a roundabout. Georgi left the race and was taken to hospital with her team having said in an evening update on social media that she is "doing well given the gravity of her fall".

After her crash today at #TDFF2024 @pfeiffergeorgi is doing well given the gravity of her fall. She has sustained multiple injuries but at this stage they don’t look too serious, however she is still undergoing further checks in hospital so we will provide a further and full… pic.twitter.com/5SOvhE2tJ6 August 15, 2024

Magdeleine Vallieres (EF-Oatly-Cannondale) - DNF The 23 year old was another rider taken to hospital after being involved in the late crash. The team said on social media that "following assessment at the hospital, it was determined Magdeleine Vallieres sustained a concussion in her crash on stage 5 of [the Tour de France Femmes] She has entered our team’s concussion protocol. Her recovery will be monitored by our team medical staff."

The Tour de France Femmes headed back into the hills for stage 6 after what was an extremely chaotic and crash-marred stage the prior day. There were 131 riders left in the race at the end of Friday’s stage.

Marta Lach (Ceratizit-WNT) - DNS Former Polish champion Marta Lach did not take the start in Remiremont. The Ceratizit-WNT team reported via social media that Lach “has been suffering with stomach issues for the last few days. Together with the team's medical staff, we've decided it would be better for her to leave” the Tour de France Femmes, said the post.

Tamara Dronova, Elena Pirrone (Roland) - DNF Roland teammates Tamara Dronova and Elena Pirrone did not finish the stage, leaving the team with three riders still in the race.

The first day of back-to-back climbing on the final weekend of racing took its toll on the peloton. The longest stage of the race, at 166.4km, stage 7 ended with a finale that included the ascents of Col de Saint-Jean-de-Sixt and Grand Bornand - Montée de Chinaillon. There were 120 riders left in the race at the end of Saturday’s stage.

Lily Williams (Human Powered Health) - DNS Olympic gold medallist in the women’s team pursuit, American Lily Williams did not take the start in Champagnole. Her Human Powered Health team started on social media “Olympic gold medalist Lily Williams bows out of the Tour for some much deserved rest.”

Sofia Bertizzolo (UAE Team ADQ) - DNS Feeling the after-effects from a crash on a previous stage, Sofia Bertizzolo also did not take the start. The UAE Team ADQ said, “It was a painful decision, but right now it is important to recover and think about her next goals of the season.”

Ruby Roseman-Gannon (Liv AlUla Jayco) - DNS Australian national champion Ruby Roseman-Gannon of Liv-AlUla-Jayco did not take the start to allow for recovery after being involved in two crashes this past week.

🇫🇷 #TDFF2024 An update on Ruby Roseman-Gannon. pic.twitter.com/IeAhChxFWS August 17, 2024

Anya Louw (AG Insurance-Soudal Team) - DNF Anya Louw (AG Insurance-Soudal Team) abandoned the race after a crash during stage 7. Her teammate Justine Ghekiere went on to a solo victory from the breakaway

Amanda Spratt (Lidl-Trek) - DNF After sustaining an injury following a crash on stage 1, Amanda Spratt abandoned early on. “She’s been fighting since day 2 after suffering a fracture to her left hand in a crash,” her team Lidl-Trek stated on social media, but, unfortunately, Amanda Spratt has had to stop racing Le Tour de France Femmes today.”

Mieke Docx (Lotto Dstny) - DNF Mieke Docx of Lotto Dstny was the third rider of the race to abandon in the first 10 kilometres of the stage after leaving Champagnole.

Antri Christoforou (Roland) - DNF Antri Christoforou was the fifth rider to depart for Roland, leaving only Sylvie Swinkels and Giorgia Vettorello left to race on for the team.

Barbara Guarischi (SD Worx-Protime) - DNF Leadout rider Barbara Guarischi did not finish stage 7 for SD Worx-Protime. The Italian rider had received the first UCI yellow card for dangerous riding on stage 2 after she stopped cycling and started cheering her teammate once her leadout was done.

Anna Henderson (Visma-Lease A Bike) - DNF Olympic silver medalist Anna Henderson (Visma-Lease a Bike) left the race after suffering from a crash on stage five.

Charlotte Kool and Becky Storrie (dsm-firmenich PostNL) - DNF Double-stage winner Charlotte Kool, who wore the yellow jersey for a brief time, abandoned the race due to fatigue, and said that she was "struggling to eat on the bike early on". Her teammate Becky Storrie sustained a broken left collarbone in a crash and could not continue.

“We saw that Charlotte had spent a lot of energy in the first five days here and today that simply took its toll on her with a build-up of fatigue, and she could no longer continue. She will head home now and rest up and recover before getting back on the bike. As for Becky, assessments at the finish revealed what we had unfortunately suspected, that she has broken her left collarbone; the same side that she broke earlier in the year. Becky will now head home and take the required time off the bike to recover before we start to look at possible training or racing later in the season,"  dsm-firmenich PostNL doctor Camiel Aldershof stated in a press release.

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Simone is a degree-qualified journalist that has accumulated decades of wide-ranging experience while working across a variety of leading media organisations. She joined Cyclingnews as a Production Editor at the start of the 2021 season and has now moved into the role of Australia Editor. Previously she worked as a freelance writer, Australian Editor at Ella CyclingTips and as a correspondent for Reuters and Bloomberg . Cycling was initially purely a leisure pursuit for Simone, who started out as a business journalist, but in 2015 her career focus also shifted to the sport.

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Vollering crashes in 5th stage of women’s Tour de France as Niewiadoma takes overall lead

Katarzyna Niewiadoma of Poland, wearing the overall leader's yellow jersey, celebrates on the podium after the fifth stage of the Tour de France Women cycling race with start in Bastogne, Belgium and finish in Amneville, France, Thursday, Aug. 15, 2024. (AP Photo/Peter Dejong)

AMNEVILLE, France (AP) — Demi Vollering’s chances of winning consecutive women’s Tour de France races was in jeopardy Thursday after the defending champion crashed at high speed in the final moments of the fifth stage from Bastogne, Belgium to Amnéville in France.

Vollering was descending into Amnéville and coming out of a roundabout when more than 10 riders crashed around her. After a few moments, she was able to continue but her three closest rivals in the overall standings — Puck Pieterse, Kasia Niewiadoma and Kristen Faulkner had raced on to the finish.

Vollering’s 22-second overall lead on her Dutch compatriot Pieterse was gone. Niewiadoma, third overall in the 2022 and 2023 races, sprinted across the line in second and took the overall lead while Blanka Vas of Hungary won the stage.

Vollering was in ninth overall.

The race will continue to wind through eastern France to finish Sunday at the top of the punishing climb of the Alpe d’Huez’s famous 21 hairpin bends.

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

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