Einer Rubio Quits Tour de France After Alpe d’Huez Crash Leaves Him With 20 Stitches
Updated
Updated · The New York Times · Jul 25
Einer Rubio Quits Tour de France After Alpe d’Huez Crash Leaves Him With 20 Stitches
3 articles · Updated · The New York Times · Jul 25
Summary
Movistar’s Einer Rubio withdrew two days before Paris after crashing into the rear windscreen of a Team UAE Emirates car on Alpe d’Huez and needing 20 stitches to his face.
Crowds blocking the road forced the car ahead of him to brake suddenly, turning Rubio’s crash into the clearest sign yet of mounting rider-safety risks on the Tour’s most famous climb.
Friday’s stage brought other flashpoints: Richard Carapaz had three near misses, Tadej Pogacar had to push fans aside, and Remco Evenepoel said blocked motos and spectators ruined his attack.
Nearly 500,000 fans were reported on the mountain, with police closing the road from Thursday and organizers warning that crowd enthusiasm must not compromise rider safety.
The incident adds to a long record of Alpe d’Huez crowd problems and may further weaken the case for future Tour visits as organizers weigh barriers, ticketing or fewer summit finishes.