Sepp Kuss went over the edge of a mountain descent during the final throes of Tour de France stage 20, a terrifying incident that could have been a true tragedy. But race organizers, ASO, placed netting on the sheer verge that caught him, a move TNT Sport pundit Matt Stephens said “might have saved his life.” This wasn’t just a close call; this was a game-changer for Kuss and a stark reminder of the wild risks these riders take.
The Crash That Nobody Was Ready For
Dude, picture this: Kuss, an American rider for Visma-Lease a Bike, is ripping it down the queen stage, Stage 20 of the Tour, heading towards the finish on Alpe d’Huez. He’s flying, lost control at speed on a nasty right-hand bend, and then BAM. He crashed into a low wall on the side of the road, tipped right over the edge. It was absolutely terrifying to watch.
But that strategically placed netting? It stopped him from tumbling down the entire mountainside. Matt Stephens on TNT Sport didn’t hold back, saying, “I don’t think we can exaggerate this. This could have been a life or death moment. The other side of that [netting] is a precipitous drop.” He nailed it. The organizers, ASO, played a blinder, knowing exactly where the danger zones were. Stephens added, “I think that netting… it might have saved his life.” Seriously, how many times do we see something like that make such a direct impact? Even after that horror show, Kuss was seen smiling at the finish, albeit with a bloodied leg and elbow. Talk about grit!
Denial and Determination in a Chaotic Stage
This stage was pure chaos. Kuss, along with Ecuador’s Richard Carapaz and Australia’s Jai Hindley, formed an early breakaway on the first of four major climbs. Kuss looked incredible, attacking with 17km left and opening up a gap. He was on course for a memorable victory!
But man, it just wasn’t his day for clean riding. He crashed not once, but twice in the finale. First in a tunnel, then again on that gnarly descent where the netting saved him. While he was recovering, Carapaz reeled him in and surged past, taking the stage win by 31 seconds. Belgium’s Remco Evenepoel even overtook Kuss in the closing metres to snatch second place, 26 seconds behind Carapaz, leaving Kuss with a still respectable, but gut-wrenching, third place.
Fellow analyst Robbie McEwen pointed out the reality of this sport: “We’re not racing on a closed circuit. This is road racing. Everybody knows the inherent risks. The organisers have done everything they can.” He’s right. These guys are racing at the limit, especially at the back end of a three-week tour when concentration levels drop. One tiny mistake can be “very, very costly.” We saw that played out big time. Meanwhile, Tadej Pogacar safely navigated the penultimate stage and is all but certain to claim his fifth Tour de France title on Sunday, holding a dominant lead of more than seven minutes over Evenepoel. What a tour, and what a save.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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