French pro cyclists Benjamin Thomas and Matteo Vercher crashed after a sprint for the KOM point during Saturday's Stage 1 of the 2025 Tour de France.
The KOM (King of the Mountains) point is awarded to the first rider who reaches the summit of the Côte de Notre-Dame-de-Lorette. It is a category 4 climb located in Ablain-Saint-Nazaire in the Hauts-de-France region of northern France. Thomas and Vercher were about 23 seconds ahead of the peleton during the final sprint to the top, with both riders taking turns for the lead while trying to fend off the other by squeezing them near the edge of the road.
As both riders approached the line marking the summit side-by-side, Thomas lunged forward to cross the line and immediately lost control of his bike. His front wheel slipped, causing Thomas to fall into Vercher, who then found himself falling onto the cobblestones making up the road.
We have seen plenty of crashes at the Tour de France over the years, and it is always scary to watch. Fortunately, both riders appeared to be OK after the crash.
Thomas was awarded with the KOM point and the polka dot jersey. However, the peloton caught up with and passed both Thomas and Vercher shortly after the crash, putting them way behind in the final standings as they ultimately finished in 138th and 179th place respectively. The stage was won by Belgian cyclist Jasper Phillipsen, who was awarded the yellow jersey.
Moonlighting as a blogger to pursue my interest and enjoyment of sports. Former high school and Division I athlete (now a "retired" family man) that loves watching and discussing all sports. Follow me on Twitter (@HoldoutSports).
