“Life-or-death moment” – British ex-pro believes safety netting may have saved Sepp Kuss at Tour de France
CyclingSunday, 26 July 2026 at 10:15
Safety netting positioned above a precipitous drop may have saved Sepp Kuss’s life during his dramatic crash on stage 20 of the 2026 Tour de France, according to former British road race champion Matt Stephens.
Kuss went over a low roadside wall after losing control on the descent from the Col de Sarenne, but was caught by the protective netting. The American remounted and still finished third on Alpe d’Huez despite crashing twice while leading the queen stage.
“The organisers have played a blinder”
“I don’t think we can exaggerate this,” Stephens told TNT Sports’ The Breakaway. “This could have been a life-or-death moment. The other side of that [netting] is a precipitous drop.”
Kuss had attacked with 17 kilometres remaining and established a narrow advantage over Richard Carapaz as the pair raced towards Alpe d’Huez.
His first crash came as he exited a dark tunnel with 7.1 kilometres to go. Kuss quickly remounted and continued pushing to rebuild his lead, only to misjudge another right-hand bend approximately two kilometres later.
The Team Visma | Lease a Bike rider struck the low wall on the outside of the corner and went over it, landing in the netting installed between the road and the steep drop.
Stephens, who won the British national road race title in 1998 before moving into broadcasting, praised the organisers for recognising the danger at that section of the descent.
“The organisers have played a blinder,” he said. “They knew that if anybody got it wrong, that’s where they’d maybe come off. I think that netting might have saved his life.”
Sepp Kuss taking the combativity award at the 2026 Tour de France in Stage 20
“You make one tiny mistake”
Three-time Tour de France green jersey winner Robbie McEwen also backed the safety precautions taken by the organisers.
The Australian, who won 12 Tour stages during his career, pointed to the inherent risks of racing on open roads and the fine margins facing riders at the end of three weeks.
“We’re not racing on a closed circuit. This is road racing. Everybody knows the inherent risks. The organisers have done everything they can,” McEwen said. “You’re racing at the limit. We’re at the back end of a three-week tour. Concentration levels drop a little bit, just the pure intensity of the race - you make one tiny mistake, and it’s very, very costly.”
Kuss had appeared capable of delivering Team Visma | Lease a Bike its first individual victory of the Tour after distancing Carapaz on the Col de Sarenne. The two crashes allowed the Ecuadorian to regain contact and ride clear before Remco Evenepoel also passed Kuss on the approach to the finish.
Carapaz won the stage by 26 seconds from Evenepoel, with Kuss crossing third at 31 seconds. Despite cuts to his arm and leg, the American completed the stage and received the day’s combativity award.
Kieran WoodDeputy Editor-in-Chief
Kieran Wood is a sports journalist based in Wales and has been active in journalism since 2022. He regularly contributes to DartsNews.com and CyclingUpToDate.com, where he covers professional cycling and darts. In cycling, his work includes liveblogs from major races, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España, alongside race reports and analysis. He has also conducted interviews with professional riders.
His reporting spans the full racing calendar, from one-day classics to stage races, with a focus on accurate, real-time coverage and clear contextual analysis. For statistics, results, and historical context, he regularly uses resources such as ProCyclingStats. To support reporting on rider activity and training context where relevant, he also references Strava.
In his work, Kieran places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles as new, verified information becomes available.
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