Sepp Kuss’ 2026 Tour de France heartbreak compounded by fine and time penalty after Alpe d'Huez drama on Stage 20 - for littering
/origin-imgresizer.tntsports.io/2025/10/22/image-068d0790-e404-47d7-bb28-adf4a3f67059-68-310-310.png)
By Ben Grounds
Updated 25/07/2026 at 22:14 GMT+1
React to this story
Sepp Kuss endured a day of contrasting emotions at the 2026 Tour de France on Saturday after missing out on a famous Alpe d’Huez stage victory, before later being hit with a significant race penalty.
‘Crazy hard day’ – Kuss in good spirits despite late falls on Stage 20
Video credit: TNT Sports
The Visma-Lease a Bike rider had looked destined for a memorable triumph on Stage 20 after producing a brilliant attack on the queen stage of the race.
Two dramatic late crashes while descending towards the finish ended his hopes as Kuss eventually recovered to finish third, while Richard Carapaz capitalised on the American’s misfortune to claim a dramatic victory for EF Education-EasyPost.
The Ecuadorian timed his move perfectly, taking advantage of Kuss’ crashes to surge clear and secure a memorable victory on the summit finish at Alpe d’Huez.
The 2026 Tour de France queen stage saw riders tackle 170.9km from Le Bourg-d’Oisans to Alpe d’Huez, featuring more than 5,400 metres of climbing across some of the most demanding Alpine terrain.
Carapaz crossed the line first, finishing 31 seconds ahead of Kuss, with Remco Evenepoel (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe) taking second place between the two riders.
The victory marked another major moment in the race for Carapaz, who had already shown impressive form in the mountains and added another stage win to his Tour campaign after producing a perfectly timed attack when the opportunity presented itself.
For Kuss, however, the result represented a painful missed opportunity. After attacking on the Col de Sarenne and building a solo advantage inside the final 20 kilometres, he appeared to be riding towards one of the biggest victories of his career before crashing twice on the descent.
/origin-imgresizer.tntsports.io/2026/07/25/image-4934b981-3492-485d-b611-640714e37ea0-85-2560-1440.jpeg)
‘Heartbreak’ – Late Stage drama as Kuss suffers SECOND fall in quick succession
Video credit: TNT Sports
Despite losing the stage win, Kuss was rewarded for his aggressive performance by receiving the combativity prize, recognising his determination and willingness to attack on one of the toughest days of the Tour.
The disappointment was then compounded after the finish when the race jury issued Kuss with sanctions for two littering offences. As reported by Cycling News, the Visma rider was fined 1,500 Swiss francs, deducted 75 UCI points and handed a one-minute penalty on the general classification.
- Pogacar inches closer to glory as Carapaz profits from Kuss falls to win Stage 20
- 'I won’t be doing this for too long' - Pogacar hints at Del Toro succession plan
The offences related to disposing of waste or other objects outside designated litter zones, in breach of UCI regulations.
The first offence resulted in a 500 Swiss franc fine and a 25-point deduction, while the second carried a further 1,000 Swiss franc fine, an additional 75-point deduction and the time penalty.
/origin-imgresizer.tntsports.io/2026/07/25/image-66648f5f-86c6-4084-acd2-d44aa91cdf61-85-2560-1440.jpeg)
Highlights: Carapaz conquers Alpe d’Huez as Pogacar closes in on fifth Tour de France
Video credit: TNT Sports
The punishment did not affect Kuss’ final standing at the Tour, with him set to finish 13th overall after climbing from 15th place following his impressive Stage 20 performance.
While Carapaz celebrated one of the defining victories of the 2026 race and Kuss was left to reflect on what might have been, the final Alpine stage delivered the drama synonymous with the Tour.
”Unfortunately, it just wasn’t meant to be today,” Kuss said. ”We were racing right on the limit.”
/origin-imgresizer.tntsports.io/2026/07/25/image-c6cf51db-55e3-4801-81f4-8802c475fb0e.jpeg)
Kuss celebrates his podium place as most combative rider prize winner
Image credit: Getty Images
Kuss explained that the first crash came after he misjudged a corner in a tunnel, before he attempted to regain his advantage during the descent towards Alpe d’Huez.
”It probably looked pretty scary on television, but that’s racing too. Things don’t always go your way,” he added.
The 31-year-old was also quick to praise Visma’s support throughout the queen stage, with the team placing four riders into the breakaway and helping create the opportunity for Kuss to attack on the Col de Sarenne.
”The way we have fought throughout this final week makes me incredibly proud,” Kuss said. ”We have given everything every single day.”
Add TNT Sports as a preferred source here to enjoy more content like this.
Watch and stream the 2026 Tour de France on TNT Sports and HBO Max
Related Topics
Advertisement
Advertisement