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Illustration of cyclists, a bike and a bidon tumbling in a cloud of dust beside an "Allez Opi-Omi" roadside sign, depicting a Tour de France crash

MEMBER EXCLUSIVE

Over and Out: First stage crashes

Crashing out of any race hurts, but the opening stage of the Tour de France? Four riders who have lived that day-one nightmare on the heartbreak of abandoning the biggest race of all.

By Chris Marshall-Bell

Photography by Illustration: Tom Jay

Illustration by Tom Jay

Ignatas KonovalovasLuke DurbridgeMark CavendishRichard CarapazTom SteelsTour de France

16 JUNE 2026 | UPDATED 12.36 PM BST

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Rouleur Issue 144 — The Tour Issue
In printIssue 144

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The Tour Issue

Le Tour de France: a race defined by colour, passion and history, whose drama and romance continue to shape the identity of cycling’s greatest stage.