Tour de France medical update: How are the riders who crashed hard during stage 2?
CyclingMonday, 06 July 2026 at 10:26
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Follow us on GoogleThe second stage of the Tour de France was rocked by a heavy crash on Sunday. After several riders had already gone down in the team time trial on Saturday, it happened again in the opening phase of stage 2. All riders did manage to finish the stage.
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On the first day, XDS Astana was particularly hit by a heavy crash in the team time trial. Three riders went down, and a day later, the Kazakh team was struck again. Aaron Gate was involved in the crash and sustained a nasty facial injury. After being patched up from the team car (see video below), he then required stitches after the stage.
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Girmay and Godon crash in Tour de France
A total of eight riders went down during the second stage, which saw a breakaway group of three out front while the peloton was still racing nervously. Trouble struck right at the front, against the guardrails; it is a miracle that more riders didn't hit the ground.
The most notable names involved in the crash were Biniam Girmay and Dorian Godon. The Eritrean rider from NSN was back on his feet quickly and soon gave a thumbs-up to the race motorbike, signaling that he was okay. The Frenchman from Netcompany INEOS was clearly suffering from some elbow pain and had to be checked by the race doctor.
De Lie finishes last, but within the time limit
While Girmay was once again contending for green jersey points during the intermediate sprint, Godon finished in the gruppetto in 121st place. This is not a particularly good sign for the Frenchman from Netcompany INEOS, who would normally handle a tough finale better.
Maxim Van Gils (Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe), Anthon Charmig (Uno-X Mobility), Kelland O'Brien (Jayco AlUla), Silvan Dillier (Alpecin-Premier Tech), and Robbe Dhondt (Picnic PostNL) were also involved in the crash. Dhondt, in particular, remained on the ground for a long time but managed a respectable sixtieth-place finish. Van Gils sustained abrasions to his knee, hip, and palm, he told HLN.
Oddly enough, none of the riders who crashed finished last in the day's results. That dubious honor went to Arnaud De Lie, who has been unwell for several days. He finished within the time limit, thanks to his Lotto-Intermarché teammate Baptiste Veistroffer.
David Bavin-HobbsChief Editor
David has been working in the sports & cycling industry for 16 years. Covering racing, business and technology, he has worked in communications for cycling companies, teams, and as a journalist. His proudest achievement is winning the first bike race he ever entered. He hasn't won a race since.
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