\u2014 ITV Cycling (@itvcycling) July 20, 2025<\/a><\/p>\n But according to his Swiss squad Tudor, Alaphilippe was unaware that anyone was up the road, thanks to his team radio breaking when he crashed hard early in the stage.<\/p>\n The crash, which took place with 150km remaining of the stage and also involved third place Florian Lipowitz, saw the double world champion suffer a dislocated shoulder.<\/p>\n After being treated by the race doctor, who popped his shoulder back in, Alaphilippe managed to regain contact with the peloton, before making his way into the strong 24-rider breakaway that contested the stage and sprinting \u2013 or so he thought \u2013 for the victory in Carcassonne.<\/p>\n \u201cThe day really started on the backfoot with the crash. We feared the worst, the crash really looked severe. When he was sitting there on the ground, holding his shoulder, we were already thinking, \u2018that doesn\u2019t look too good\u2019,\u201d Tudor CEO Raphael Meyer told road.cc at the finish.<\/p>\n \u201cBut he came back through the bunch, came into the first peloton, then into the [breakaway] group, then sprinted to the line against Wout and Axel Laurance.\u201d<\/p>\n He continued: \u201cUnfortunately after the crash, the radio didn\u2019t work anymore, and as the race was so full gas all day, we didn\u2019t have time to change the radio.<\/p>\n \u201cSo he was not aware two guys were up front and thought he had won the stage. But that\u2019s part of cycling, part of the story, and we\u2019re happy we are third. And at least we have the photo!\u201d<\/p>\n Asked about Alaphilippe\u2019s condition, after the 33-year-old was whisked away in a team van to be examined, Meyer said: \u201cWe hope that he is fine, he\u2019s doing radio checks. We knew he had a dislocated shoulder, it was put back by the race doctor. But of course, it\u2019s painful.\u201d<\/p>\n Since then, Alaphilippe returned to the stage finish area, where he was interviewed by France 2, confirming that he did not suffer any broken bones and is likely to continue racing when the Tour resumes after tomorrow\u2019s rest day in Montpellier.<\/p>\n \u201cI managed to put my shoulder back in place, I remembered how they did it at the hospital,\u201d a clearly disappointed Alaphilippe told the French broadcaster. \u201cI fought hard, I had good legs. Unfortunately, the radio stopped working after my crash, so like an idiot, I sprinted to try and win.\u201d<\/p>\n However, despite his star rider\u2019s finish line faux pas, Meyer is convinced that his team has what it takes to win a stage during the Tour\u2019s final week.<\/p>\n \u201cMichael Storer was really solid, most combative, did his best,\u201d the Tudor CEO said of the Australian, who animated the breakaway with an attacking ride before finishing 22nd, in the same group as teammate Alaphilippe.<\/p>\n \u201cDefinitely everything but a stage win for him, but he showed the legs are there and the fighting spirit is correct.<\/p>\n \u201cTonight we need to calm down, reassess. Tomorrow during the rest day, we have lots of time to reassess the situation and see what we\u2019re going to do in the days ahead. \u00a0<\/p>\n >\u00a0Snatching defeat from the jaws of victory \u2014 when cycling celebrations go wrong<\/a><\/p>\n Of course, this isn\u2019t the first time that Alaphilippe has been undone by an ill-advised victory celebration.<\/p>\n At the 2020 edition of Li\u00e8ge-Bastogne-Li\u00e8ge, the then-world champion raised his arms in triumph just before the line \u2013 only to be pipped at the death by a late-surging Primo\u017e Rogli\u010d<\/a>.<\/p>\n However, Alaphilippe\u2019s blushes were spared (slightly) by the commissaires\u2019 decision to relegate him to fifth for cutting up Marc Hirschi in the sprint, not that that would have been much consolation.<\/p>\n![\"Julian](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/img20250720172421.jpg\" "\\"Julian")
Julian Alaphilippe being taken to hospital after crash on stage 15, 2025 Tour de France (credit: Ryan Mallon)<\/p>\n![\"LBL](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/lbl-2020-roglic-wins-dion-kerckhoffscor-vos-2020-corvosswpixcom.jpg\" "\\"LBL")
LBL 2020 Roglic wins (credit: Cor Vos)<\/p>\n