Crashes have marked the opening week of the 2026 Tour de France, which began on July 4 in Barcelona, Spain, with concussion cases exposing the limits of current roadside medical checks.

Of the eight riders who have abandoned the race so far, three withdrew due to concussions: Frenchman Clement Berthet of Groupama-FDJ United, Dutch rider Alex Molenaar of Caja Rural-Seguros RGA, and Norway’s Torstein Traeen of Uno-X Mobility, who briefly wore the yellow jersey. Berthet suffered a heavy fall during the opening team time trial, Molenaar crashed 5 kilometers from the finish of stage five, and Traeen crashed the following day descending the Col du Tourmalet.

Xavier Bigard, medical director of the International Cycling Union (UCI), told Reuters, “It is never very satisfactory for us to see riders diagnosed with concussion after they have resumed racing.” Bigard, who has been developing concussion protocols since joining the UCI in 2018, acknowledged progress but highlighted the ongoing challenge. When concussion is suspected, a more thorough examination lasting about 10 minutes is conducted after the stage.

These incidents illustrate the difficulty of managing concussions in a sport where time pressures complicate medical assessments.

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