Halland Johannessen apologetic after Pogacar crash

Speaking to reporters, Johannessen stated, "I felt the whole peloton moved to the right and then I saw he was on the radio," Johannessen explained after the incident. "I don't know if he just went into my back wheel."

The Norwegian rider spoke with Pogacar after the crash, who characterised it as "just a racing incident." Despite this, Johannessen expressed concern about Pogacar's condition.

"I really hope he's okay. Straight away, when we heard he crashed, we stopped in the group and waited for him," said Johannessen.

The incident appeared to result from normal movement within the peloton rather than any deliberate action. Johannessen emphasised that he didn't feel at fault for the incident.

"I didn't mean to do anything. I was just following the movement of the peloton," he added.

The response from riders demonstrated another of cycling's unwritten rules about fair competition when it comes to stage racing. When asked who it was who initiated the slowdown, Johannessen credited the collective decision of the peloton.

"When we saw it was him [Pogacar] that went down, everyone just stopped. You never want the Tour to be fought out because one guy is on the ground," said Johannessen.

No information was immediately available about Pogacar's injuries or how the crash might affect his race position.

"Everyone just stopped and waited, and I think that's how it should be," Johannessen concluded.