Tour chaos on Alpe d’Huez as Rubio crashes into UAE car and requires 20 facial stitches

The incident was not shown during the television broadcast, but video footage appears to show the UAE vehicle braking sharply to avoid a spectator who had stepped into the road. Rubio, riding directly behind the car, was unable to react in time and slammed into its rear window.

The 28-year-old Colombian Movistar rider received medical assistance after the collision. His team later confirmed on X that he had abandoned the race.

Tobias Halland Johannessen witnessed the incident while riding to an impressive fifth place on the famous climb.

“I saw Rubio from Movistar go into the UAE car. It didn’t look good at all,” Johannessen told TV 2. “I wonder whether he smashed the window with his face. I hope he is all right.”

Later on Friday night, Movistar provided a further update on Rubio’s condition. The team reported that he had received around 20 stitches to his face following the accident on the ascent to Alpe d’Huez.

Rubio was due to be transferred to a hospital in Grenoble, where further tests would be carried out to determine the full extent of his injuries

The crash occurred during an ascent of Alpe d’Huez that, at times, produced alarming scenes as huge crowds reduced the road to a narrow channel.

Spectators repeatedly waited until the last possible moment before stepping aside for riders, team cars and race motorcycles. The congestion created a series of dangerous situations and also affected the racing.

Remco Evenepoel (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe) was forced to halt an acceleration after becoming trapped behind motorcycles in one of the narrowest sections of the climb.

Safety concerns had already been raised before the stage. Tour de France organiser ASO installed barriers and ropes and deployed additional police officers at several points, including the opening kilometre, Dutch Corner and the approach to the summit.

Tour route director Thierry Gouvenou had stressed that those precautions would still depend on spectators behaving responsibly and leaving enough space for the race to pass.

Tadej Pogačar eventually powered to victory on Alpe d’Huez in record time, but Rubio’s crash offered a stark reminder of the consequences when riders and race vehicles are left with little room to manoeuvre.