"It may simply be that their line was not ideal" - Tour official counters after Pidcock's criticism following stage 10 crash
CyclingThursday, 16 July 2026 at 23:00
The tenth stage of 2026 Tour de France witnessed yet another great performance of Tadej Pogacar, but also multiple crashes in the group of favourites. Those caused notable problems for top-10 contender Tom Pidcock who not only crashed himself, but also lost crucial teammate Chris Harper who hit the deck in the same corner.
In his comments after the stage, Pidcock did not hesitate to pinpoint the main culprit: the unfamiliar white substance covering the road surface on the descent from Puy Mary.
"I don't know what they do to the roads here when they are cleaned, but they put that white shit over them. And that is very slippery," he said after the stage.
His fellow competitor, currently fifth overall Paul Seixas echoed Pidcock's concerns: "I felt my front wheel slip in a corner without even understanding why. I think the tarmac was really melting because the descent was like an ice rink."
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White phantom
The white areas are often created by limewash or a similar light-colored agent applied to the roadway.
The light material serves several functions. It reflects sunlight better than dark asphalt, which means the surface heats up less. At the same time, it can partially bind or dry out the sticky, oily components on the surface. This is intended to prevent the asphalt from softening even more in the heat.
"The coating reflects light. The aim is to keep the temperature below 50 degrees Celsius, which is a critical temperature for some surfaces," Tour road coordinator André Bancala told RTBF Sport.
Bancala said local authorities, rather than ASO alone, decide where the treatment is required. Road inspectors identify sections considered vulnerable to heat, with particular attention paid to bends, descents and other technically difficult areas.
Tom Pidcock on Stage 10 of the 2026 Tour de France
The coating is not exclusively used for the Tour de France. According to Bancala, French road authorities are increasingly applying it during periods of intense heat because it uses less water than repeatedly cooling roads with water trucks.
Treating the road does not completely solve the problem. It can even create a new uncertainty. Riders do not always know exactly how the white area will feel under the tire.
Riders cause the crashes upon themselves?
If it is dry and evenly distributed, it can help. But if the material lies on the surface as a dusty film, it can feel slippery. If it gets damp, its behavior can change again. Transitions between normal asphalt, softened bitumen, and treated sections can also be treacherous.
"It is not slippery in itself," the Tour road coordinator countered, pointing to another problem instead: "These are difficult roads, and the descent of the Puy Mary is not easy to navigate."
According to Bancala, riders should take more into consideration the condition of used public roads and not race carelessly in the technical descents.
"The riders should not think they are on a Formula 1 circuit. When only one or two riders crash, it may simply be that their line was not ideal. We did not see a general wave of crashes," he concluded.
Ondrej ZhasilCycling Journalist
Ondřej Zhasil is a cycling journalist at CyclingUpToDate and has been part of the team since 2023. He is based in Ostrava, the third-largest city in the Czech Republic, and covers professional cycling across the main UCI competitions, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España. A key focus of his work is startlist analysis and pre-race coverage, where he examines team selections, rider line-ups, and tactical scenarios ahead of major events.
Alongside WorldTour coverage, Ondřej has developed specific expertise in junior cycling and in racing across East Asia, including competitions in China and Japan. He also maintains a broad working knowledge of other disciplines and levels, including cyclocross, while continuing to expand his understanding of mountain bike racing.
Ondřej holds a bachelor’s degree in Mathematics and Physics, which supports his analytical, data-driven approach to performance and race analysis. In his reporting, he regularly uses ProCyclingStats for results, statistics, and historical context. He places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles promptly when new, verified information becomes available.
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- UAE had their reasons. They didn't want teammates from Visma to get up the road to help Jonas later and it kept aggressiveness down in the main peloton. plus it preserved the stage should they want to go for it. they can race as they wish based on the best tactics for them, they are not there to please you, or the peloton.mij16-07-2026
- it isn't the intermediate sprint that is the leg crusher, it is getting up the road to be a part of it. that burns a lot of matches.mij16-07-2026
- I think there is more resentment because they didn't end up going for the stage win on stage 9. Then it ends up being unsportsmanly as they help the peloton against the breakaway, without actually trying to win, as I said in my other comment. It is also possible that Pogačar wants to show van der Poel that he can fight it out with him I'd he wanted to, but doesn't because it's the Tour de France and he can't exactly join in in the breakaway.
Rafionain-Glas16-07-2026 - Merlier has been going for the intermediate sprints but not at the cost of the stage win. He never sprints fully. Although I don't see how a little sprint would mean he can't sprint later. But maybe it does. It was like that last year, where Milan always outsprinted him at the intermediate sprints but Merlier was faster at the finish.Rafionain-Glas16-07-2026
- They have a strong team indeed but it is not really UAE to WHAT or WHO Pogacar is. You could pick his supportive riders from any team and make several hundreds of variations and yet he would still win. About the salary cap: Pogacar is extremely underpaid despite being the most paid rider:) Just look at price / performance. How much captains of rival teams earn and how much they actually win? Put all their achievements in one bag and directly compare it with his bag. Just to have idea of what he should have earned... People have a lot of money they cannot really spend, or better to say, don't really know how to enrich it. If smart, one would just buy out the player clause and put his name in "eternity", relying on Pogacar already having a legendary status in the cycling industry. Then start something greater. Anyone? It's peanuts!Bublubublu16-07-2026
- His sprints are unbelievable - coming out of the back row and winning by substantial margins. really impressive.mij16-07-2026
- so it is interesting - everyone complains about UAE attacking and resisting the break aways to protect their yellow. where are the haters for Lidl Trek doing the same to protect their green? and BTW, I don't have an issue with either team dictating the tempo that is best for their team. go for it.mij16-07-2026
- The good news for Mads is that I don't think Merlier has any interest in green - so him winning is great. Merlier won't go after the intermediate points.mij16-07-2026
- was anybody injured?Ketterechts16-07-2026
- I'm in agreement with you. and at your age group too - double 25. I respect not attacking during a feed zone so everyone has an organized chance for nutrition and such. but the rest of it is b.s. I love watching racing. bare knuckled, fight it out every day, and shake hands at the finish. not "oh we will let you win today so you feel good about yourself" crap.mij16-07-2026
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