Every year nearly 200 cyclists from around 22 teams take extreme measures to participate in the Tour de France. However, the event does not come without its risks. Every year cyclists face numerous mishaps during the race.

This year too, the cycling race witnessed its fair share of accidents. However, none were as disastrous as the one observed during Stage 5 of the race.

What caused the accident on Stage 5 of Tour de France?

Italian cyclist, Daniel Oss of Team TotalEnergies, met with a grisly accident during Stage 5 of the Tour de France. The rider had reached Sector 3 of the stage when the mishap occurred. It happened as a result of an onlooker setting foot into the cobbles to record the action.

Oss, who approached the section at high speed, collided with the onlooker before hitting two others and stumbling to the ground. Although the cyclist still managed to complete the stage, further tests revealed that he had suffered a “fracture of a cervical vertebra,” or in layman’s terms, a broken bone in the neck.

Following this, the rider had no option but to withdraw from Le Tour. It is because the cyclist will need to keep the area of injury immobilized for a few weeks. Thus, eliminating the chances of him parting in subsequent stages of the Tour.

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This year, the stretch of Stage 5 comprised a cobbled surface in contrast to the tarmac roads in the other stages. It presents a challenge for the riders as the narrow tires of road bikes are ill-suited to handle such surfaces.

Did the cobbles play a role in the mishap?

Higher tire pressures and the lack of suspensions transmit every shock and bump from the bike to the rider. Therefore, most cyclists competing in the race loathe this stage.

Interestingly, the cobbles encounter the most accidents at any stage of the Tour. It is because slimmer tires with higher pressure, which make these bikes nimble in the tarmacs, render them extra wobbly in the cobble and gravel stages of the event.

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As such, these stages witness frequent accidents. However, Oss suffered the injury because a distracted spectator ventured too close to where the action was taking place.