Matxin apologizes after Einer Rubio's accident and reveals what happened from the car

One day after the accident that forced Einer Rubio (Movistar Team) to abandon the Tour de France on the ascent to Alpe d’Huez, Joxean Fernández “Matxin”, sports director of UAE Team Emirates-XRG and driver of the involved car, wanted to publicly explain his version of what happened. He did so through an extensive post on his social media, in which he claims that his only priority at that moment was to avoid hitting a fan who had invaded the road.

Matxin explains the accident of Einer Rubio: “I was only thinking about avoiding a much greater tragedy”

The incident occurred in the final kilometers of one of the most crowded stages of the Tour. While Tadej Pogačar was attacking solo on his way to victory, the UAE car that was closely following him had to make an emergency stop. Rubio, who was riding just behind the vehicle after having been part of the day's breakaway, could not avoid the impact and suffered a serious accident that forced him to abandon the race. It was later confirmed that the Colombian needed 20 stitches in his face.

Here you can see how a spectator falls to the ground and that is the reason why the UAE car has to brake suddenly.

Einer Rubio has no time to brake. pic.twitter.com/RioNPMRRcf

— Los Totiños Cycling (@totijordi79) July 25, 2026

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“A spectator fell right under the car”

In his message, Matxin explains that the maneuver was a direct consequence of a spectator suddenly appearing on the road.

“In the last kilometers of Alpe d’Huez, with thousands of fans very close to the road and the enormous pressure typical of a decisive stage of the Tour, a spectator unexpectedly burst onto the scene and fell right under our vehicle. My only reaction was to brake immediately to avoid hitting him.”

The sports director acknowledges that everything happened in just a few tenths of a second and that his only concern was to avoid an even more serious outcome.

He did not know the extent of the accident until the finish line

Matxin also reveals that, from inside the car, he was not aware of what had happened to Rubio at the moment of impact.

As he explains, after the braking, they only heard a loud bang behind the vehicle, but the ambient noise, the crowd, and the tension of a decisive stage prevented them from immediately knowing what had occurred.

“It was not until we reached the finish line that I learned the extent of the accident and that Einer had to abandon the Tour.”

The Basque leader assures that, as soon as he learned the news, he contacted the Movistar Team to inquire about the condition of the Colombian rider and personally convey his concern to both the directors and the members of the Spanish team.

An accident that reopens the debate on safety

Rubio's accident was the most serious episode of a day that had already shown multiple signs of the chaos caused by the overcrowding of fans in Alpe d’Huez.

Throughout the week, the organization had expressed its concern about the enormous influx of fans. Access to the ascent was even closed to traffic the day before to prevent more vehicles from entering, and in addition, the Tour launched a specific campaign on social media and along the route itself asking spectators to respect the passage of riders and race vehicles.

Despite those warnings, during the ascent, Richard Carapaz was also seen being hit in the face by a spectator, and Tadej Pogačar had to dodge hands, flags, and fans that partially invaded the road while he was attacking towards victory.

“It hurts me immensely”

In the final part of his message, Matxin deeply regrets the consequences of the accident and sends a direct message to the Colombian rider.

“If my decisions at that moment have ended up affecting a cyclist in the peloton, I can only say that it hurts me immensely.”

At the same time, he insists that the safety of an event like the Tour de France does not only depend on the organization and the teams but also on the responsible behavior of the public.

His post concludes with words of support for Einer Rubio:

“All my support and affection for Einer. I deeply regret what happened and sincerely wish to see you competing again very soon where you deserve.”

With this statement, the director of UAE Team Emirates-XRG offers for the first time a detailed explanation of what happened from inside the vehicle that was involved in one of the most shocking incidents of this edition of the Tour de France.