€1,800 fine and 1 minute penalty for Sepp Kuss after a stage in which he fell twice

The queen stage of the 2026 Tour de France left a double punishment for Sepp Kuss. After losing a victory that seemed within reach following two falls on the descent of the Col de Sarenne, the American from Visma Lease a Bike was also sanctioned by the race jury with a financial fine, a penalty in the general classification, and the loss of UCI points.

Sepp Kuss sanctioned after narrowly missing victory in Alpe d’Huez: fine of 1,500 Swiss francs and a one-minute penalty for littering

According to the official statement from the commissioners, Kuss received a total fine of 1,500 Swiss francs (about 1,800 euros), was penalized with 60 seconds in the general classification, and lost 75 UCI points for violating article 2.12.007-8.3 of the UCI regulations, related to littering outside designated zones.

The sanction corresponds to two separate violations for throwing objects outside the so-called litter zones. The statement does not specify when during the stage the incidents occurred, but during the broadcast, he was seen throwing a bottle onto the road after trying to hand it to a TV motorcycle and it was not caught; there was no public in that section for environmental protection.

From a possible victory to finishing third

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The penalty came just hours after Kuss delivered one of the most outstanding performances of the Tour. The American was part of the day's breakaway and was one of the strongest riders in the major alpine climbs.

L'énorme frayeur de Sepp Kuss ! Après une première alerte quelques secondes plus tôt, l'Américain se rate dans un virage et manque de basculer dans le vide #LesRP #TDF2026 pic.twitter.com/pJ4SyEfA5L

— Eurosport France (@Eurosport_FR) July 25, 2026

On the Col du Sarenne, he managed to open a gap over Richard Carapaz, but everything changed on the descent. First, he fell in a wet tunnel and shortly after, he went down again in a right-hand turn while trying to increase his lead. In this second accident, he was even close to falling off the cliff as he was stopped by the barriers installed alongside the road.

Ultimately, Carapaz caught up with him and ended up taking the stage victory, while Daniel Felipe Martínez also surpassed the Visma rider in the final meters, relegating Kuss to third place.

“I was completely at the limit”

After the finish, the winner of the 2023 Vuelta a España acknowledged that the two accidents were a consequence of the enormous effort made throughout the day.

“I was so at the limit that I miscalculated the turns. After the first fall, I tried to make up for lost time and made another mistake in another turn.”

Despite the scare, he confirmed that he only suffered some superficial wounds.

“I’m fine, I just have some scratches.”

Kuss: “Carapaz deserved to win”

Far from looking for excuses, the American congratulated Richard Carapaz on his victory and highlighted the work done by the entire Visma | Lease a Bike team in a very challenging Tour after the withdrawal of Jonas Vingegaard.

“I’m happy to have been up front and to have fought for the victory. I think Carapaz deserved to win the stage; he had been in the breakaways for three consecutive days.”

Kuss also lamented not being able to reward his teammates for the enormous work done during the day, although he expressed pride in the team's attitude throughout the race.

“After Jonas's withdrawal, we have tried to take advantage of every opportunity. I would have liked to reward my teammates, but we can be proud of how we raced.”

The combination of sporting disappointment and the subsequent sanction turned the Alpe d’Huez stage into one of the most bitter days of the Tour for the American, who went from being on the verge of a prestigious victory to ending the day with a fine, a one-minute penalty, and the loss of 75 UCI points.