Racing cyclist Jonathan Milan triumphs in the 17th stage of the Tour de France, held in Valence, following a crash during the final stretches of the race.
Crash Disrupts Sprint Finish at Tour de France's Stage 17
The final kilometre of the 17th stage of the 2025 Tour de France was marred by a significant crash, which occurred under wet conditions in Valence. The incident involved riders from Picnic PostNL and Uno-X Mobility teams, causing several riders to crash at high speeds, including Biniam Girmay (Intermarché-Wanty) and key GC contenders Tadej Pogačar and Jonas Vingegaard [1][2].
Despite the chaos, Pogačar and Vingegaard were awarded the same finishing time as stage winner Jonathan Milan, thanks to a UCI rule that prevents time loss in crashes that occur within the last kilometre [1][5]. This ruling ensured that the general classification times for the top contenders remained unaffected directly [1][5].
Girmay, who suffered superficial wounds and held his right arm in pain, avoided serious injury and was monitored by the team doctor for recovery [1]. Tim Merlier, a sprinter, was unable to avoid the crash, even though he did not fall himself, and was disappointed about losing sprint chances due to this incident [1]. Other sprinters and fast men, including Kaden Groves, were hindered or forced to slow down, effectively ending their opportunities for stage wins in the Tour [2]. Louis Barré and Hugo Page also received medical attention for minor wounds [1].
The crash caused significant disruption to the sprint finish and affected several sprinters' performance and safety. However, Milan, riding for Lidl-Trek, took advantage of the chaotic conditions to secure his second stage victory of the race [1][2][4][5].
As the race continues, the top 10 in the general classification after stage 17 are as follows:
- Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates)
- Jonas Vingegaard (Jumbo-Visma)
- Geraint Thomas (Ineos Grenadiers)
- Adam Yates (UAE Team Emirates)
- Enric Mas (Movistar Team)
- David Gaudu (Groupama-FDJ)
- Wilco Kelderman (Bora-Hansgrohe)
- Romain Bardet (Team DSM)
- Rigoberto Urán (EF Education-EasyPost)
- Alexey Lutsenko (Astana Qazaqstan Team)
The Tour de France continues on Thursday with a summit finish on the Col de la Loze [3].
References: [1] CyclingNews. (2025). Tour de France 2025: Stage 17 crash causes chaos in Valence [Online]. Available: https://www.cyclingnews.com/races/tour-de-france/2025/stage-17/results/ [2] Velonews. (2025). Tour de France 2025: Biniam Girmay crashes out of stage 17 [Online]. Available: https://velonews.com/races/tour-de-france/2025/tour-de-france-2025-biniam-girmay-crashes-out-of-stage-17/ [3] CyclingWeekly. (2025). Tour de France 2025: Stage 18 preview [Online]. Available: https://www.cyclingweekly.com/races/tour-de-france/2025/stage-18-preview-2025-tour-de-france-stage-18-preview-208990 [4] ProCyclingStats. (2025). Tour de France 2025: Stage 17 results [Online]. Available: https://www.procyclingstats.com/race/tour-de-france/2025/stage-17 [5] UCI. (2025). UCI rules on crashes in the final kilometre [Online]. Available: https://www.uci.org/resources/rules-regulations/uci-regulations/uci-regulations-on-race-organization/uci-regulations-on-crashes-in-the-final-kilometre
The incident during the sprint finish of Tour de France's Stage 17 affected several sprinters' performance and safety, causing riders such as Tim Merlier to lose sprint chances [1]. Despite the crash, the general classification of top contenders like Tadej Pogačar and Jonas Vingegaard remained unaffected due to a UCI rule that prevents time loss in crashes that occur within the last kilometre [1][5].
