"I was pushed to the barriers and hit a spectator" - Jordi Meeus reacts to potentially disastrous moment on stage 11 sprint

Jordi Meeus finished outside the top 10 on stage 11 of the 2023 Tour de France. Could this have been better had he not been hit by a fan leaning over the barriers with their phone?

“The finale was especially nervous because of the rain. I was well placed through the last roundabouts and also had the right wheel while going into the last kilometre. But then the speed dropped a bit and a few guys got back into the mix," Meeus recaps to the official website of BORA - hansgrohe in a post-stage interview. "I was pushed to the barriers and hit a spectator. I almost crashed but tried to get back into contention."

Despite managing to stay upright, Meeus was unable to challenge for the stage win that was won once again by the dominant Jasper Philipsen. Disappointment was the primary emotion for the 25-year-old Belgian afterwards.

"Mads Pedersen got under my arm, and I lost my balance again," he continues. "It’s frustrating to be honest because so far I have the feeling I’ve never been able to ride my own sprint on a clear line.”