Einer Rubio deserved far, far better than what happened to him on Alpe d'Huez on Friday.
The Movistar rider was fighting up the final climb of Tour de France stage 19 with the remnants of the breakaway when the UAE Team Emirates-XRG car, directly in front of him, had to brake suddenly due to fans in the road. Behind, Rubio plowed into the back of the vehicle at full speed.
TV cameras didn't capture the incident but fans did and the video – if you want to see the footage, look for it on social but we're not posting here – shows the violence of the collision. Photos afterward showed significant blood on the road and the Colombian climber was forced to drop out of the race. That unfortunate incident was one of several on the final climb today.
Are fans on major finish climbs getting out of hand?
After reports emerged of rowdy behavior by fans in the days before today's stage, riders and team officials voiced apprehension yesterday about the Alpe d'Huez finish. Police closed all vehicle access early due to the crowds. And true to riders' concerns, fans did impact the race.
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