Geraint Thomas was bumped hard off the road by Warren Barguil on the final descent; flying into a lamp post and over the edge.
The breakaway may have stolen the day on stage 16 of the Tour de France today, but for many the sight of Geraint Thomas making it to the finish was the most significant development.
The Team Sky rider was in the select group of favourites over 18 minutes down on the escape when he was bumped hard on the descent of the Col du Manse by Giant-Alpecin's Warren Barguil.
Racing towards the finish in the final kilometres of the race, the Frenchman went into a right hander far too fast.
But instead of overshooting the corner himself, he bumped very hard in Welshman Thomas and sent him off the road, clipping a lamp post on the way at high speed.
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Thomas went out of sight because the ground fell away from the road, with the Team Sky man forced to climb back up the ditch onto the road and get back on his bike.
With Barguil’s momentum halted when he bumped Thomas, he managed to stay upright and finished with the group of favourites which included Thomas’s team mate and yellow jersey Chris Froome, Alberto Contador (Tinkoff-Saxo), Nairo Quintana (Movistar) and Alejandro Valverde (Movistar).
To his credit, Thomas lost just 38 seconds to the group he had been in and remains 6th overall.
"I'm alright, I'm a bit shaken up but fine. I've had a lot worse," he said later.
"It's frustrating; I tried so hard to get over the climb, I don't know why some guys just sit where you are on the descent.
"What's the difference between fifth and third? Just get down the descent. Everyone knows it's a tough descent."
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The stage was won by Ruben Plaza (Lampre-Merida) after he took off from the large breakaway on the final climb.
And while Peter Sagan (Tinkoff-Saxo) went after him down the other side of the mountain, he left himself with too much to do and took his sixteenth Tour de France 2nd place some 30 seconds after the Spaniard.
Nicolas Roche was with his team leader until the final climb and came home in 93rd place, 24:58 down on the winner and some 7:10 down on the group containing Froome and his main rivals.
Dan Martin of Cannondale-Garmin was next Irish rider home, in 188th and as part of the last group on the road. It was 30:36 down and also contained Sam Bennett (Bora-Argon 18).
The riders have a rest day tomorrow, Tuesday, before the race heads into the Alps for a very tough few days ahead of the finish in Paris next Sunday.
BANG! Bad crash for @GeraintThomas86 who's sent hurtling off the road into telegraph pole #TDF2015 #homeofcycling https://t.co/Xau74NXA0Z
— British Eurosport (@EurosportUKTV) July 20, 2015
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