Yellow jersey Torstein Træen fractures rib, suffers concussion in Tour de France crash and abandons
The Norwegian wore the yellow jersey for two days before a crash on the descent of the Tourmalet left him with a fractured rib and concussion, forcing his withdrawal ahead of stage seven.
The crash
Torstein Træen's Tour de France came to an abrupt end on the descent of the Col du Tourmalet during stage six. The Norwegian, still wearing the yellow jersey at the time of the incident, lost control while following a teammate and went down heavily on the long, fast descent. He was already around eight minutes behind stage winner Tadej Pogacar and set to lose the overall lead, but the crash turned a difficult day into a terminal one. Race doctors attended to him at the roadside, and he initially passed a concussion protocol, allowing him to remount and ride to the finish in Gavarnie nearly 30 minutes after Pogacar.
After examinations by the Uno-X medical staff, analysis of his helmet data and X-rays in the medical truck, a concussion and several rib fractures were diagnosed.
The Tour's medical bulletin had earlier confirmed the rib fracture and noted additional injuries to his right shoulder and elbow. The full concussion diagnosis came later, after the team reviewed helmet impact data. The combination of injuries made it impossible for the 30-year-old to continue.
Two days in yellow
Træen seized the yellow jersey on Tuesday's fourth stage, escaping from the peloton on the road from Carcassonne to Foix. He held it through Wednesday's stage, where he was caught up in a crash near the finish in Pau but continued without apparent serious injury. The jersey changed hands on Thursday as the race hit the high mountains, with Pogacar attacking to win the stage and take the overall lead.
- Wins yellow jersey on stage 4 from Carcassonne to Foix
- Crashes near Pau but finishes stage 5
- Crashes on Tourmalet descent, fractures rib, suffers concussion; finishes stage nearly 30 minutes down
- Team confirms abandonment; will not start stage 7
Pogacar takes control
Tadej Pogacar's victory on the stage to Gavarnie moved him into the yellow jersey, a position he is expected to defend through the remaining stages. The Slovenian had already built a lead of several minutes over his rivals before Træen's crash. The abandonment removes one of the early storylines of the race, as the Norwegian had been a surprise leader from the second-tier Uno-X team.
Abandonment confirmed
Uno-X Mobility announced on Thursday evening that Træen would not start stage seven on Friday. The combination of a concussion and fractured ribs made continuing impossible. Træen, who previously wore the leader's jersey at the 2025 Vuelta a España, leaves the Tour after two days in the most coveted jersey in cycling.
