Safety netting saves Sepp Kuss from terrifying Tour de France crash
American cyclist Sepp Kuss has narrowly escaped a potentially fatal fall during stage 20 of the 2026 Tour de France after crashing into safety netting on a sheer mountain descent.
The Visma-Lease a Bike rider lost control at high speed on a right-hand bend while approaching the iconic Alpe d’Huez finish line.
He collided with a low wall and flipped over the edge, but was miraculously caught by barriers strategically installed by racing organisers ASO.
Praise for life-saving safety measures
TNT Sport pundit Matt Stephens believed the horrifying incident could easily have ended in tragedy.
“This could have been a life or death moment. The other side of that netting is a precipitous drop.”
“The organisers have played a blinder. They knew that if anybody got it wrong, that’s where they’d maybe come off. I think that netting might have saved his life.”
Road cycling inherently carries extreme risks, especially during the gruelling final days of a three-week Grand Tour when competitor concentration inevitably wanes.
Fellow analyst Robbie McEwen highlighted the pure intensity of the race and the severe consequences of a single error.
“You’re racing at the limit. You make one tiny mistake and it’s very, very costly.”
Stage 20 victory slips away
The dramatic plunge was actually the American’s second crash of a chaotic finale, having earlier fallen inside a dark tunnel.
He had previously launched a blistering attack from a breakaway group with 17 kilometres remaining and looked poised for a memorable mountain victory.
Instead, Ecuador’s Richard Carapaz capitalised on the misfortune to reel him in, surging past to secure the win for EF Education-Easypost.
Belgium’s Remco Evenepoel also overtook the bloodied but smiling breakaway leader in the closing metres to claim second place.
Pogacar closes in on fifth yellow jersey
Further down the mountain, overall race leader Tadej Pogacar safely negotiated the treacherous penultimate stage without incident.
The Slovenian superstar now holds an unassailable lead of more than seven minutes over Evenepoel in the general classification.
He is fully expected to ride triumphantly into the finish on Sunday to claim a historic fifth Tour de France title.
While four riders have tragically lost their lives throughout the long history of the prestigious event, extensive safety improvements mean there have been no competitor fatalities since 1995.