The American rider was hit by a private vehicle in Évian-les-Bains before stage 16: team principal Gianetti reassured, but for fantasy cycling it is a warning bell.
Brandon McNulty was the subject of an absurd and dangerous incident before the individual time trial of stage 16 of the 2026 Tour de France in Évian-les-Bains. The American rider from UAE Team Emirates-XRG was hit by a private car while riding his bike to the start line. The news quickly spread across the cycling world, leaving fans and fantasy cycling coaches in suspense.
According to UAE team principal Mauro Gianetti , a fan driver lost patience behind the cyclist, overtook him abruptly, and stopped suddenly in front of him. McNulty, unable to brake in time, crashed into the car's bodywork. "A fan car was a bit nervous behind him, we don't know why. It overtook Brandon and stopped. Unfortunately, Brandon crashed into the car," Gianetti explained to TNT Sports outside the team bus.
The good news, at least on the surface, is that Gianetti downplayed the severity of the accident : "It's nothing serious, everything's fine, but it was unpleasant. Yes, it was a crowd car and we don't know anything else." However, in the hours immediately following the crash, the team principal was still waiting for the doctors' approval to confirm McNulty's departure at the scheduled time.
Sports journalist and cycling enthusiast, following professional cycling for over 10 years. Collaborates with FantaCycling to bring you the best analysis and news from the world of cycling.
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