Sepp Kuss (Jumbo Visma) and Carlos Rodríguez (Ineos Grenadiers) were left counting the cost of their stage 20 crash on the Tour de France today; both riders looking battered after the finish and also slipping down down the general classification.
While Kuss was riding the race in the service of team mate, and race leader, Jonas Vingegaard, the American was also on course for the first top 10 overall finish of his career in the Tour. However, after his crash today he shipped a lot of time - 20:39 to the leaders - and has dropped three places from 9th to 12th overall.
Rodríguez didn't need as much time to be patched up after the fall - on a tricky corner while descending - battled on and finished much closer to the front today; placing 12th on the stage just 52 seconds down.
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However, as he had begun the day 4th overall, and just 18 seconds up on Simon Yates (Team Jayco AlUla) in 5th, the Spanish rider was leapfrogged by the British rider, who rode a great stage to finish in the five-man front group.
Jumbo Visma directeur, Grischa Niermann told Wielerflits while Kuss's crash was very bad, it could have been much worse for the team considering what was at stake today.
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"A fall like that can always happen," he said. "It could have been Jonas and then everything would have been ruined. It was quite stressful in the car until the bottom of the last climb. Kuss was distanced immediately after the fall, he had a big wound on his eye and his face. He had a tough day."
