Bisiaux questions rivals’ response after Seixas crash on Grand Colombier stage

Paul Seixas saw his hopes of overall victory suffer a major blow on Saturday after crashing shortly after racing resumed following a neutralised descent.

The Frenchman hit the ground a little over 30 kilometres into the stage, soon after the peloton had been slowed because of gravel on the descent of the Côte de Saint Maurice de Rotherens. By the time Seixas remounted, he was almost four minutes behind the main group.

Speaking after the finish on the Grand Colombier, teammate Léo Bisiaux said the precise cause of the crash remained unclear.

“It started very fast,” Bisiaux told CyclingPro.net. “The race was then neutralised for a descent with gravel, and the organisers released us again on another descent.

“I think Paul either made a small mistake through a lack of concentration, or there was some contact between the riders. Unfortunately, he crashed at a moment when everyone was a little excited.”

Decathlon CMA CGM immediately committed its resources to Seixas’ pursuit. Stefan Bissegger, Daan Hoole, Aurélien Paret Peintre and Nicolas Prodhomme were sent back in succession, helping their leader reduce a deficit that had briefly grown beyond four minutes.

Bisiaux also played a key role later in the stage, staying with Seixas as the Frenchman fought to regain contact before the final climbs.

The chase succeeded with around 37 kilometres remaining, when Seixas rejoined the group of general classification contenders ahead of the Col de Richemond. The effort required to get back, however, came at a significant cost.

“He limited the damage quite well because he produced a huge chase behind,” Bisiaux said. “He was going quite well, but he had already been forced to make a very big effort. I tried to give everything on the final climb to support him as much as possible.”

There was little respite at the front of the race. UAE Team Emirates-XRG and Visma | Lease a Bike were among the teams contributing to the pace while Seixas was still trying to return, before Lidl-Trek took control on the approach to the Grand Colombier.

Bisiaux made no attempt to hide his frustration at the way the race unfolded.

“It was a bit disappointing in terms of sporting fairness,” he said. “All the teams started riding. Strangely, everybody wanted the stage win today, while yesterday nobody did. But that is how it is. We will see tomorrow.”

Seixas crossed the line 1 minute and 21 seconds behind Del Toro. Given the severity of his crash, the long chase and the intensity of the final ascent, the result represented a considerable act of damage limitation. 

Even so, his overall ambitions were severely compromised, with the Frenchman now more than a minute behind both Jorgenson and Del Toro, while Ayuso also holds an advantage of more than 45 seconds.