Wire flash
Movistar's Einer Rubio crashes into team car, abandons Tour de France
Editorial responsibility
- No named human review is recorded for this page.
- Source reporting is collected, normalized, translated or condensed automatically when needed.
- Automatically published source-backed update
Colombian cyclist Einer Rubio (28) of Movistar was forced to abandon the 2026 Tour de France after a severe crash on the Alpe d'Huez climb. With five kilometers to go, a spectator ran onto the road in front of the UAE Emirates team car following Tadej Pogacar. The driver braked hard to avoid the fan, but Rubio, riding directly behind, slammed into the back of the vehicle. He suffered multiple facial lacerations requiring 20 stitches but no fractures, and was released from Grenoble hospital that evening. The incident occurred as Pogacar, who had just overtaken Rubio, went on to win the stage and break Marco Pantani's 31-year-old record for the ascent. Rubio had been 27th overall after the 18th stage.
Source report
Colombian cyclist Einer Rubio (28) has been forced to abandon the Tour de France following one of the most brutal accidents of this year's race. The Movistar rider crashed into the back of a support vehicle just five kilometers from the finish on the legendary Alpe d'Huez climb.
Rubio suffered several facial lacerations requiring 20 stitches, according to his team. The good news: nothing is broken, and by around 10 p.m. that evening, the South American was able to leave the hospital in Grenoble.
What Happened?
Superstar Tadej Pogacar (27) rode past Rubio in a dense corridor of hundreds of thousands of spectators on the iconic ascent. Eleven kilometers from the finish, the Slovenian attacked from a chasing group to catch the leaders—which he succeeded in doing. After passing Rubio, the team vehicle of his UAE Emirates team followed closely behind.
Shortly before the accident: Einer Rubio on the way to Alpe d'Huez, which he does not reach. Photo: AP Photo/Mosa'ab Elshamy
Then the incident occurred:
- A spectator came onto the road from the right, apparently trying to pick something up
- The spectator fell directly in front of the UAE team vehicle
- The driver had the presence of mind to brake hard, as video footage on social media shows
- Rubio, riding immediately behind, crashed into the back of the vehicle without braking
- This caused the multiple cuts on his face
- No one in the accident car appeared to notice the crash; the vehicle drove on, likely relieved not to have run over the fan
Aftermath
Doctors quickly attended to Rubio, who could not continue the race. After the 18th stage on Thursday, he was in 27th place in the overall standings.
Pogacar continued to lead, securing his fifth stage win of the 2026 Tour and his 26th overall victory in the French race on the summit. He practically flew up the 21 switchbacks of the 13.8-kilometer climb, finishing in 35:26 minutes—breaking Marco Pantani's (†34) record. The Italian was 1:24 minutes slower 31 years ago. On his way to the record, Pogacar also overtook Rubio.
Source
BILD - SportWestern
Part of this Story
Einer Rubio Abandons Tour de France After Crashing Into Team Car on Alpe d'Huez