Three Riders Withdraw From Tour de France After Concussion Diagnoses

Three riders abandoned the 2026 Tour de France after receiving concussion diagnoses following crashes in the opening week. Frenchman Clement Berthet of Groupama-FDJ United, Dutch rider Alex Molenaar of Caja Rural-Seguros RGA and Norway’s Torstein Traeen of Uno-X Mobility all completed their stages before withdrawing later the same evening. Berthet crashed during the opening team time trial.

Molenaar went down 5 km from the finish of stage five. Traeen fell on the descent of the Col du Tourmalet while wearing the yellow jersey. Al Jazeera reported that all three had shown no immediate signs that prompted withdrawal under the roadside protocol.

The UCI introduced a concussion protocol at the start of the 2021 season. Xavier Bigard, the UCI’s medical director, said the roadside assessment often occurs in the heat of the moment and remains difficult to apply accurately. He noted that some signs appear immediately and fade while others emerge only later.

Florence Pommerie, the Tour de France’s chief doctor since 2010, said concussion has no single defining sign and requires a combination of indicators. Mathieu Le Strat, medical director of Groupama-FDJ United, added that a full examination takes 10 to 15 minutes and cannot be performed beside the road.

Pascal Chanteur, vice president of the CPA international riders’ union, said awareness of the issue has increased in recent years.

Bigard stated that education in elite cycling remains a long-term process driven by the constant pressure of performance and time gaps.