"This is really not the ending we wanted for his yellow adventure" - Torstein Traeen's Tour ends after high-speed crash
Cycling
Torstein Traeen's stint in yellow jersey was ultimately a little shorter than he might've hoped for. But that's not the main of his worries because the Norwegian crashed painfully on the descent from Col du Tourmalet, and his future in the race has been sealed, as has been confirmed by his team Uno-X Mobility this evening.
With 8 minutes of advantage over Tadej Pogacar before today's stage 6, Traeen had a not-unrealistic hope of keeping the race's lead at the very least until the first rest day. However his dream quickly fell apart as UAE crushed the peloton on the slopes of Tourmalet, leaving Traeen to crest the top with a gap of roughly precisely those 8 minutes to Pogacar.
With teammate Anders Halland Johannessen at hand, Traeen could still hope to hang on to his lead, thus the Uno-X Mobility duo pushed in descent. But Traeen overextended in one of the hairpins, his front wheel got caught up in Johannessen's rear wheel, and the yellow jersey wearer hit the ground.
"I don’t know what the damage is. We’ll have to see what the X-rays say. My head hurts a bit and my ribs don’t feel great, but we’ll have to wait and see," Traeen told Eurosport at the finish before further examination was carried out.
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Thirty minutes down
Visibly shaken, it's taken him four minutes to resume at what was a rather leisurely pace from that point onward. Ultimately, the 30-year-old finished 51st, half an hour behind stage winner Pogacar.
Although Traeen managed to smile a bit for the cameras in company of Johannessen, it was clear that he's been in a lot of pain:
"I was joking with Anders (Halland Johannessen, ed.) that we would sprint for it. I didn't know if he would let me win, but at least we can still laugh even though it wasn't the best day," he concluded.
Race over
Immediately after finish, Traeen was exposed to extensive medical check, which ruled his further continuation in the race unwise.
According to the team, Traeen passed the roadside concussion assessment after the crash and was able to continue to the finish in Gavarnie-Gèdre. However, following further assessment by the Uno-X Mobility medical staff, analysis of the data from his helmet sensor and X-rays in the medical truck, he has been diagnosed with a concussion and multiple rib fractures. In addition, Traeen is severely bruised due to the high-speed crash.
He will now follow the team’s concussion protocol in the coming days and will not continue in the race.
"This is really not the ending we wanted for this yellow adventure," says team manager Thor Hushovd in a press communication.
Anders Johannessen consoles Torstein Traeen on stage 6 of the 2026 Tour de France
"Torstein has given the team a historic moment, and what he and the whole team have achieved these past days is something we will always be proud of. But after the further checks, it was clear that he could not continue," Hushovd adds.
"To wear the yellow jersey in the Tour de France is massive for any rider and any team. For Torstein to do that, and to take the jersey over the Tourmalet, is something very special," he says.
"It is of course disappointing to leave the race like this, but now the most important thing is that Torstein gets the care and recovery he needs," Hushovd concludes.
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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