Still bearing facial cuts, Einer Rubio delivers humorous and critical message one week after Alpe d’Huez crash

Einer Rubio has shared a positive update following his crash and withdrawal in Stage 19 of the Tour de France. The Colombian Movistar rider was struck by the consequences of a spectator falling onto the road in front of a UAE Team Emirates-XRG sports director’s car on Alpe d’Huez. The vehicle braked suddenly, leaving Rubio to crash heavily through its rear window.

Rubio was still riding near the front of the race when the incident happened, having spent the entire day in the early breakaway. Whether it happens to Tadej Pogačar or to a fading breakaway rider, however, Alpe d’Huez once again made painfully clear that the enormous crowds lining the road can also have a negative impact on the race.

The Colombian climber remained on the ground immediately after the impact and was moved to the side of the road by those nearby. It soon became clear that shards of glass had left his face covered in blood. Rubio was quickly taken to the medical unit at the finish, where he required no fewer than 20 stitches to his face, before receiving further treatment at a nearby hospital.

The crash naturally forced Rubio to abandon the race. One week later, he provided an update on Friday through his social media channels. In the photograph, he is dressed as Monkey D. Luffy, a cartoon character known for his facial scar. It was a humorous reference, as Rubio will undoubtedly be left with scars of his own. Even so, his injuries already appear to be healing well after a week.

“RubioLuffy,” the Colombian joked. “A few days have now passed since my crash at the Tour, and as the saying goes, after the rain comes the sunshine. Nobody expects to have to finish a race in this way, but that is how things turned out. We cannot change the past, but we can learn from situations like this.”

Rubio hopes similar incidents can be prevented in the future. “Perhaps things would have turned out differently with better barriers on the climb, stricter traffic control, and spectators who were more careful and more aware that the riders’ safety was at stake. I’m recovering and I’ll be back soon.”