“Sorry to disappoint anyone who thought I was an alcoholic" – Tour de France revelation Kevin Vauquelin joking after fracturing fibula in freak accident

After a breakthrough performance at the 2025 Tour de France, Kevin Vauquelin should have been enjoying a well-earned rest. Instead, just two days after finishing eighth overall, the 24-year-old Frenchman is now facing an unexpected spell on the sidelines following a freak injury sustained at home.

Vauquelin, riding for Arkéa–B&B Hotels, fractured the distal end of his fibula in what the team described as a “domestic accident.” The brief statement, issued on Tuesday, offered no timeline for his recovery, stating only that “the duration of his unavailability will be announced at a later date.”

The lack of detail sparked widespread speculation online, prompting Vauquelin to address the incident himself via Instagram. “To be precise: it happened when I was walking down the stairs with my suitcase,” he wrote in a story post. “And no, it wasn’t in the middle of the night. Sorry to disappoint anyone who thought I was an alcoholic,” he added, jokingly, alongside a laughing emoji.

The injury comes at an unfortunate time for the young rider, who had been in contention for selection to represent France at the upcoming European Championships in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region and the World Championships in Kigali, Rwanda. While neither appearance has yet been ruled out, the focus for Vauquelin must now shift to recovery and rehabilitation.

His Tour de France campaign marked the latest high point in a superb 2025 season. After finishing second at both La Flèche Wallonne and the Tour de Suisse, Vauquelin impressed again on home roads, lighting up the opening half of the Tour and at one point climbing as high as third in the general classification. He also briefly held the white jersey as best young rider before ultimately securing a top-10 finish in Paris — a result that exceeded expectations for both rider and team.

The Normandy native has been strongly linked with a move to INEOS Grenadiers for 2026, and his performances this year have only strengthened his stock. For now, though, all attention will be on his recovery, with Arkéa–B&B Hotels expected to provide further updates in due course.