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Tour de France: Sepp Kuss narrowly avoids plunge down embankment after crash
🇫🇮 Finland /Sports

Tour de France: Sepp Kuss narrowly avoids plunge down embankment after crash

From Helsingin Sanomat · () Finnish

Translated from Finnish, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

News Named sources Ongoing story
  • American cyclist Sepp Kuss narrowly avoided a severe crash during the second-to-last stage of the Tour de France.
  • Kuss crashed twice, with the second incident involving him hitting a concrete barrier and coming within inches of falling down a steep embankment.
  • Safety netting installed by organizers prevented a potentially fatal fall, with commentators emphasizing the critical role of the barrier.

American cyclist Sepp Kuss experienced a harrowing near-miss during the penultimate stage of the Tour de France, where a series of crashes could have led to a serious accident. Kuss went down twice on the stage, but the second fall was particularly dramatic.

This could have been a matter of life and death. On the other side of the net is a steep drop.

— Matt StephensDescribing the severity of Sepp Kuss's near-fall.

Leading the stage with 7.1 kilometers remaining, Kuss struck a high curb just after exiting a tunnel. He quickly remounted and maintained his lead. However, just a couple of kilometers later, he approached a right-hand bend too quickly. He collided with a low concrete barrier, but crucially, safety netting installed by the race organizers prevented him from going over the edge.

The race organizers succeeded perfectly. They knew that if anyone misjudged the corner, they might go off the road right at that spot. That net probably saved his life.

— Matt StephensPraising the race organizers for installing safety netting.

Footage revealed a steep, multi-meter drop down a rocky slope behind the barrier. Matt Stephens, a TNT expert and former professional cyclist, described the situation as potentially life-threatening. "This could have been a matter of life and death. On the other side of the net is a steep drop," Stephens stated, crediting the organizers' foresight in placing the net at that specific curve, which he believes saved Kuss's life.

Unfortunately, today was just not my day. We were riding at the absolute limit. I misjudged one corner in the tunnel first, and then I tried to increase my lead again.

— Sepp KussReflecting on the incident and his performance.

Despite the frightening incident, Kuss remained composed. He expressed disappointment over losing a potential stage victory but acknowledged that such risks are part of professional racing. "Unfortunately, today was just not my day. We were riding at the absolute limit. I misjudged one corner in the tunnel first, and then I tried to increase my lead again," Kuss told TNT. He was able to continue the race, finishing the stage in third place, with Ecuador's Richard Carapaz taking the win. Kuss had also crashed in the 2023 Tour de France, sustaining facial and elbow injuries but continuing the competition.

The situation probably looked quite scary on television, but this is also part of racing. Things don't always go as you hope.

— Sepp KussCommenting on the risks inherent in professional cycling.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Helsingin Sanomat in Finnish. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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