Mark Cavendish (Astana-Cazakstan) was pushing hard for a record 35th stage win in the Tour de France when Mads Pedersen (Lidl-Trek) suddenly fell to the deck behind him, leading his teammate Brian Coquard Axel Jingle (Cofidis) was heading for the line in Saint Vourbas.

"It happened so fast. I finished my job for Bryan and pulled aside," Jingle said in a team media statement. 'We were still going 60 kilometers an hour and the race was already over. I didn't expect to crash right in front of him."

But Pedersen bounced off the barriers and slid across the road.

"I was going too fast to brake and I didn't want to fall. My hands were fit and ready, so I tried and went through," said Jingle, who successfully bunny hopped and avoided a collision with a rider.

"I felt I touched him. But he has a strong skin, so hopefully the conditions will be better tomorrow! said the French rider.

The Lidl-Trek team announced that Pedersen suffered a severe blow to his left shoulder and back in the crash at the end of stage 5, but initial X-rays showed no fractures.11]

"He will continue to be monitored overnight and a final decision on whether he can ride stage 6 will be made tomorrow morning. . will be made tomorrow morning."

The team also announced that the first X-rays had not been completed.

Stage 6 is a relatively flat 163.5 km from Macon to Dijon, with an 800 m straight into the Côte d'Or department to decide the winner.