🎥 Thomas causes bizarre crash but ends up in polka dot jersey – rival reacts with grace

Thomas had already picked up a point earlier in the day on the Côte de Notre-Dame-de-Lorette. The track rider was the strongest there, so he only needed one more point. Vercher wanted to keep him from getting it, and after the leading group had caught up, he accelerated away again. Thomas reacted, and so the French duo headed for the second climb of the day. If the Cofidis rider won there, the battle for the first mountain jersey would be over.

It turned out to be an intense battle: Thomas made the first move, but Vercher countered. It then became a kind of standstill, after which the TotalEnergies man really launched his sprint. He seemed to time it well, but Thomas, the Olympic track cycling champion, managed to overtake him with an ultimate jump. It ultimately cost him a lot because he crashed hard in that jump. Vercher couldn't avoid him, and so the frontrunners were on the ground.

Before they could get up, the peloton rushed past them. Their adventure was definitely over, and with considerable injuries, the two rivals had to continue on their way. They immediately let the others go: the only goal now was to reach the finish line. If Thomas manages to do that, he can wear the polka dot jersey. That will undoubtedly not be easy because it didn't look good. Defending the jersey will be difficult because there are eight points up for grabs in Sunday's tough hill stage.

Afterward, the duo were both questioned about the rather bizarre crash. “This was agreed during the briefing, to go for the points,” Thomas began proudly in front of the camera of the organization. “I needed one more point on Mont Cassel, a place I know well. On the cobblestones, you always sprint while sitting down, but when I pushed my bike forward, I lost my balance, and we crashed. I didn't even know I had won the sprint. It was my fault, and I apologized. Fortunately, Matteo is okay.”

Thomas was not penalized, so Vercher was left empty-handed. Apart from some muscle pain, he won only the prize for the most combative rider. “Benjamin was the one who let me crash, but it could just as easily have been the other way around,” said the Frenchman in a sporting way. “I knew he was faster, and unfortunately, we had that crash. I don't blame him; that's cycling. The most important thing is that we can both start again on Sunday because we could just as easily have broken something.”