The Tour de France 2026 has seen a wave of withdrawals after a series of crashes and illnesses struck the peloton early in the race.
The multi-stage event began with 184 riders in Barcelona on July 4, but several have already left due to severe injuries and medical conditions.
Injuries from Crashes
Groupama-FDJ lost climbers Guillaume Martin and Clément Berthet after a crash. Berthet suffered a shoulder injury that forced him out immediately.
Former yellow jersey wearer Torstein Traeen finished his stage after crashing on the descent of the Tourmalet, but later scans revealed four broken ribs and a concussion, ending his race.
Dutch rider Alex Molenaar, who wore the polka dot jersey on day three, abandoned during the fifth stage.
He sustained a broken metacarpal and a concussion that caused temporary amnesia.
Sprinter Fernando Gaviria and Jenno Berckmoes both fractured their collarbones in a multi-rider crash during the twelfth stage.
Illness Also Takes Its Toll
Illness has also impacted the race, forcing Arnaud De Lie, Matteo Trentin, Cian Uijtdebroeks, and Alpecin-Premier Tech rider Ramses Debruyne to withdraw.
Debruyne exited due to a fever while holding 18th place overall.
