Rider from Ineos Grenadiers team sustains broken pelvis and will not continue in Tour de France
In a heart-stopping moment during the finale of Tour de France stage 17, several riders were involved in a dramatic crash that marred the sprint finish. The incident occurred just before the finish line in Valence, in the final kilometer of the race.
Notable riders affected by the crash included Tim Merlier, Biniam Girmay, Louis Barré, and Hugo Page. Merlier, a would-be stage contender from Soudal-Quick-Step, missed his chance for a third win in the 2025 Tour de France as he was held up by the crash and too far back in the peloton to avoid the wreckage.
Girmay of Intermarché-Wanty was one of the riders who crashed, going down at a speed of approximately 70 km/h. He was checked by race doctors and rode to the finish, though he held his right arm in pain afterward. Fortunately, he sustained only superficial wounds and no fractures. His team confirmed that he had managed to escape serious injury. Two more of Girmay's teammates also came down but escaped unscathed from the incident.
Barré and Page also received immediate medical attention during stage 17 and sustained superficial wounds, with no fractures or major injuries reported.
GC contenders Tadej Pogačar and Jonas Vingegaard were behind the crash but were awarded the same time as the stage winner, Jonathan Milan, since the incident occurred in the final kilometer.
The crash was caused by a collision between a Picnic-PostNL rider and a Uno-X Mobility rider, leading to chaos in the closing stages of the race.
Carlos Rodríguez, who was in 10th place in the general classification before his withdrawal, will not start stage 18 of the Tour de France due to a pelvis fracture. Ineos Grenadiers announced Rodríguez's withdrawal on Thursday morning. The injury occurred in a crash during the final kilometers of stage 17. Hospital tests revealed the extent of Rodríguez's injuries and confirmed his inability to continue racing.
The withdrawal of Rodríguez is a blow to Ineos Grenadiers as he was their best-placed rider. Thymen Arensman, winner of stage 14, is in 14th place for Ineos Grenadiers, but he is still well outside the top ten.
The Tour de France continues on Thursday with the first of two summit finishes in the high Alps. Rodríguez will return home to focus on recovery and rehabilitation, under the close supervision of Ineos Grenadiers' medical team.
[1] Tour de France Stage 17 Crash: Tim Merlier Misses Out on Third Win
[2] Tour de France Stage 17: Biniam Girmay, Louis Barré, and Hugo Page Sustain Superficial Injuries
[3] Tour de France Stage 17: Carlos Rodríguez Withdraws Due to Pelvis Fracture
[4] Tour de France Stage 17: Collision Between Picnic-PostNL and Uno-X Mobility Riders Causes Chaos
[1] Tour de France Stage 17: The sports incident involving Merlier, Girmay, Barré, and Page potentially impacted their chances for significant wins.
[2] Tour de France Stage 17: Despite the crash, Girmay's team confirmed that he managed to avoid major sports injuries.
