Overview
- On Saturday during Stage 20 toward Alpe d'Huez Kuss crashed twice—first exiting a tunnel and then on a high-speed right-hand bend where he hit a low wall and was halted by catch netting on the verge.
- Broadcast pundits said the netting may have saved his life and praised race organiser ASO for placing barriers at the most precipitous sections of the descent.
- Kuss remounted with cuts and bruises and finished third after being overtaken by Remco Evenepoel while Richard Carapaz took the stage win and Tadej Pogacar kept a commanding overall lead.
- Kuss told Tour media he misjudged the corner and apologized to his family, and race officials later issued a one-minute time penalty, a 75-point UCI deduction, and a 1,500 Swiss franc fine for two littering offences.
- The scare underlines the danger of open-road alpine descents, explains why organisers now place catch netting at key drop-offs, and could drive further targeted safety measures on steep verges in future Tours.