The 14th stage of the Tour de France on Saturday (07/15/2023) was overshadowed by a mass crash with interruption and another accident – six professionals have since given up, including Romain Bardet.
About five kilometers after the sharp start in Annemasse, a large part of the field fell in a descent. The tour organization immediately neutralized the race and stopped the riders. After about 23 minutes, the race resumed with a two-kilometre neutral phase. It was the first mass fall on this year’s tour.
Pedreo and Meintjes to the hospital
The Spaniard Antonio Pedrero and the South African Louios Meintjes had to give up the race and were taken to the hospital. The Colombian champion Esteban Chaves also gave up a few kilometers after the restart. A broken collarbone at Meintjes was immediately confirmed. The 31-year-old was 13th overall and was the captain of the Intermarché team with Georg Zimmermann from Augsburg.
The fall was apparently caused by a driver error. Almost every team was involved, so race director Christian Prudhomme felt compelled to neutralize. Sporting directors praised the move, which is rare on the Tour. The race doctors took care of the 20 or so drivers who fell, some of whom suffered extensive abrasions.
Bardet, Shaw and Sinkeldam eliminated
After the resumption, it was not long before the next serious crash. At kilometer 27, Romain Bardet and James Shaw were hit, who were first treated by the doctors on the side of the road and were finally unable to continue. After about 80 kilometers there was also the message on the tour radio that Ramon Sinkeldam had dropped out.
Last mostly external factors
In the past, external factors were more likely to have caused a race stop. Sometimes environmental activists blocked the road, sometimes drivers went on strike for more safety on the road. In the 2019 Tour, the stage to Tignes had to be canceled due to a landslide.