Sepp Kuss loses France stage 20 win after two crashes

American rider Sepp Kuss saw a potential victory on the Tour de France's queen stage vanish in a pair of late crashes on Saturday, July 25, 2026, with safety netting on a treacherous mountain descent preventing a potentially serious fall. Kuss finished third on Stage 20 after leading solo over the Col de Sarenne, only for his race to unravel on the descent toward the famed finish at Alpe d'Huez.

The Visma-Lease a Bike rider was part of a long breakaway with Ecuador's Richard Carapaz (EF Education-EasyPost) on the brutally difficult 171-kilometer stage across the French Alps. After attacking with approximately 17 kilometers remaining, Kuss crested the final categorized climb, the Col de Sarenne, alone and held a narrow advantage. His hopes began to collapse in the final eight kilometers. First, he crashed upon exiting a dark tunnel. Then, on a fast, technical descent with just over four kilometers to go, he misjudged a corner, struck a roadside barrier, and was thrown toward the edge of the mountain road.

Safety netting installed by race organizer ASO caught Kuss, stopping him from tumbling over a sheer drop. Analysts and observers immediately highlighted the nets as a critical...