Slovenian cyclist Tadej Pogačar is locked in to win the 2026 Tour de France for his third straight year, but Saturday’s Stage 20 almost ended in tragedy for American Sepp Kuss, who survived a harrowing near-fatal crash that had everyone holding their breath.
Kuss’s Wild Ride on Stage 20
Dude, Sepp Kuss had an absolutely insane day. He crashed not once, but twice during Saturday’s competition! The first one happened while he was actually in the lead, mere miles from snatching a stage win. He collided with a wall outside a tunnel, but somehow, the man recovered like a champ and kept his lead. You gotta be kidding me, right? Talk about grit!
But then, the second crash. This one was straight-up terrifying. Making a super tight turn, Kuss nearly went over a barrier. We’re talking about falling down the side of a mountain, people! Luckily, a protective barrier caught him. What a heart-stopping moment. It’s insane to think what could have happened without that barrier. Seriously, can you imagine?
Stage 20 Fallout and What’s Next
Despite almost going off a cliff, Kuss again recovered, but that second accident cost him precious time. He ended up finishing third in Stage 20, a full 31 seconds behind Ecuadorian cyclist Richard Carapaz, who snagged the stage win and the polka dot jersey for conquering the mountain stage. Kuss also came in five seconds behind Belgium’s Remco Evenepoel. If Kuss had managed to hold on for first, he would have been the first American to win a stage in five years, the last time being Kuss himself in 2021!
So, heading into Sunday’s final stage, Pogačar is sitting pretty at the top with 72 hours, 53 minutes, 44 seconds on the clock. Evenepoel is currently running second overall, nearly seven minutes back from the leader, which means Pogačar is practically cruising to his third consecutive trophy. It’s almost anticlimactic, but you gotta respect that kind of dominance.
Tune in for the final stage on Sunday! Will Pogačar seal the deal for his third straight title? You know he’s gonna give it everything.
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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