Brutal 20-Rider Pileup Halts Tour de France
The third stage of the Tour de France was suspended Monday after a tremendous crash took down 20 riders, including race leader Fabian Cancellera. The pileup started when French rider William Bonnet touched wheels with another competitor.
It’s rare to see the race stopped completely, Cycling Weekly reported, but Tour director Christian Prudhomme made the call because the crash tied up the event’s entire medical staff. The downed riders who were still able to compete, including Cancellera, restarted from the top of the hill. At least three racers, including Bonnet, dropped out due to their injuries.
At the end of the stage, Cancellera, who finished 11 minutes behind the stage winner, had lost the yellow leader’s jersey to Britain’s Chris Froome.