Einer Rubio collides with UAE team car on Alpe d'Huez, abandons Tour de France with facial injuries

The crash

Einer Rubio, the 28-year-old Colombian climber for Movistar, was forced to abandon the Tour de France during the 19th stage on 24 July after a violent collision with a UAE Team Emirates-XRG support vehicle. The incident occurred several kilometres from the summit finish on Alpe d'Huez, where the road flattens briefly. Video footage captured by roadside spectators shows Rubio riding directly behind the UAE car as it brakes sharply, giving him no room to avoid the impact.

He struck the rear windscreen with enough force to shatter the glass and then fell to the ground. The scene, widely shared on social media, shows the vehicle stopping abruptly because a fan had stepped into its path. French media reported that the spectator stumbled and got up directly in front of the stationary car before moving aside.

Immediate aftermath

Rubio was seen with a bloodied face and heavy bandaging shortly after the crash. Movistar confirmed his withdrawal from the race on X, stating, "We will give you more information as soon as possible." No detailed medical bulletin had been issued by the team at the time of reporting. Reuters noted that Movistar, UAE Team Emirates-XRG, and race organiser Amaury Sport Organisation did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

We will give you more information as soon as possible.

The spectator factor

The unusually large crowds lining Alpe d'Huez, a legendary Tour climb, played a direct role in the incident. According to Franceinfo, a spectator who had fallen in front of the UAE vehicle prompted the emergency stop. The local prefect had already shut the access road to the resort to uphill traffic from 2 p.m. on Thursday through to midnight Sunday, in anticipation of the massive turnout. The sheer volume of spectators also disrupted other riders.

That attack had to happen in two stages because I was blocked by fans and motorbikes. A shame, because it would have produced a different result.

Remco Evenepoel told Sporza that his own offensive was broken up when he was obstructed by both fans and race motorbikes on the same climb. He added that it was only a matter of time before something went wrong given the crowd density.

Wider context on Alpe d'Huez

Tadej Pogacar won the stage, completing the 19th day of racing with a summit finish. Rubio was lying 27th in the general classification before his abandon. Einer Rubio, a rider who won a stage at the 2023 Giro d'Italia, had been part of Movistar's climbing roster for the high-mountain stages. His collision follows a pattern of vehicle-rider incidents in professional cycling, though direct impacts with team cars on a climb are rare. The stage continued without further major incident, but the images of the crash reignited debate about managing crowd proximity on mountain finishes.

What comes next

Stage 20 is scheduled to run on Saturday, 25 July, between Le Bourg d'Oisans and Alpe d'Huez. Movistar has not yet indicated whether any team disciplinary or legal steps will follow, nor has the UCI commented on potential safety reviews.