Nordic second-division team Uno-X is riding his first Tour de France, as is one of their riders, 27-year-old Traeen. While his teammate Tobias Johannessen put up a brave fight in the front group, the Hönefoss native lost control of the downhill at the end of the peloton and crashed his bike into a ditch along the left side of the narrow road.
His bike was thrown dangerously back onto the road after the impact and almost hit the German Nils Politt, who, however, managed the evasive maneuver perfectly and was able to continue the race. In the end, Traeen also completed the stage without any problems, receiving a new bike and finishing in 79th place.
Even earlier, a mass collision occurred in the back of the peloton, apparently due to a failed refreshment bottle transfer. About five riders found themselves on the ground, including Giulio Ciccone, one of the main contenders for the stage lead from one of the escapes. But he continued with a scraped knee.
The Spaniard David de la Cruz ended up with much worse consequences after falling in a corner in the downhill after only 27 kilometers. His incident was not captured by television cameras, which only watched the Vuelta stage winner writhe in pain and hold his right hand.
He was forced to leave the race, after star sprinter Mark Cavendish and another Spaniard Luis León Sánchez, Astana already lost its third rider. “No fractures were detected for David, he escaped with bruises on his right elbow, shoulder and left hip,” Astana said on Twitter.
The suffering of the giant Soudal Quick-Step also continues. Since 2012, the Belgian team has always won at least one stage at the Tour de France, usually many more, but this time they are waiting for the first place. Julian Alaphilippe is the most active, but so far he has always dropped out of the escapes.
And the one from whom it was most expected will no longer write down the win with certainty. Dutch sprinter Fabio Jakobsen struggled after a fall in the 4th stage, then finished 15th best and decided to withdraw before yesterday’s 12th stage. Quite possibly, he would not meet the time limit in the next three alpine stages.
Australian sprinter Caleb Ewan already had a problem with him. The five-time Tour de France stage winner, who finished second and third this year, dropped out in the opening kilometers and reached the finish line last in a hug with teammate De Buyst and a loss of over 37 minutes. He missed the time limit by six minutes, but much harder work awaits him in the following days.
2023-07-14 09:56:33
#Rough #falls #Tour #Norwegian #roared #ditch #flying #bike #opponent #Sport.cz
