GC favourite Paul Seixas (Decathlon CMA CGM) has crashed at the beginning of stage 7 of the Tour Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes.
Today’s pivotal 134-kilometre mountain stage is expected to provide a showdown between the race’s main GC contenders, with Seixas a hot favourite. The Frenchman’s crash, however, may scupper his hopes for both the stage – and the overall win.
Although Seixas quickly returned to his bike, he initially found himself four minutes down on the peloton, with teammates Dan Hoole and Stefan Bissegger enlisted to help pull him back.
At the foot of the Lacets du Grand Colombier —a 7-kilometre climb with an average gradient of 8.4%— Seixas was around 2 minutes and 20 seconds down, paced by Aurélien Paret-Peintre.
Images of Seixas show his white young rider’s jersey dotted with spots of blood, with cuts to his knees and elbow. As the peloton crests the Lacets du Grand Colombier, Seixas trails by more than two minutes.
After the Lacets du Grand Colombier, which is 57.4 kilometres from the finish of the stage, the riders will descend, before climbing the 7.7-kilometre Col de Richemond and finishing atop the 8.4-kilometre Grand Colombier. Will Seixas be able to make it back – and if so, what will he have left for the finale?