A Narrow Escape on the Mountain

The penultimate stage of the 2026 Tour de France took place this Saturday, as Slovenian star Tadej Pogačar edged closer to securing his third straight overall victory. However, the race was marked by a series of alarming incidents involving American cyclist Sepp Kuss, who suffered two separate crashes during the grueling stage.

The second of these accidents was particularly terrifying. While navigating a sharp bend, Kuss lost control and narrowly avoided plummeting off the side of the mountain. He was saved from a potentially lethal fall by a protective roadside barrier that intercepted his momentum.

Race Disruptions and Podium Results

Kuss’s day began with promise, as he was leading the stage with only a few miles remaining before his first collision with a tunnel wall. Despite the impact, he managed to remount quickly and maintain his position at the front of the pack. However, the second incident proved more costly.

Although the American rider showed remarkable resilience to continue after the near-fatal scare, the time lost during the recovery allowed other competitors to overtake him. Ultimately, Kuss finished in third place, trailing stage winner Richard Carapaz of Ecuador by 31 seconds and Belgium’s Remco Evenepoel by five seconds.

Had Kuss secured the victory, he would have become the first American to win a Tour de France stage in five years—a drought he himself last ended during Stage 15 in 2021.

Overall Standings Ahead of the Finale

As the peloton prepares for the final stage on Sunday, Remco Evenepoel maintains the second position in the general classification, sitting roughly six minutes and 26 seconds behind the dominant leader, Tadej Pogačar.

The current top ten overall standings are as follows:

  • Tadej Pogačar (Slovenia): 72:53:44
  • Remco Evenepoel (Belgium): +6:26
  • Isaac Del Toro (Mexico): +9:42
  • Paul Seixas (France): +11:56
  • Lenny Martinez (France): +13:02
  • Mattias Skjelmose (Denmark): +14:59
  • Juan Ayuso (Spain): +17:48
  • Richard Carapaz (Ecuador): +20:00
  • Tom Pidcock (Great Britain): +29:28
  • Jordan Jegat (France): +33:21