Watch: Tour De France Rider Somehow Recovers From Horrific Crash

By Eoin Lyons Jul 24, 2018 7:02 PM

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Tour de France rider Philippe Gilbert can count his lucky stars he is still in the competition after a nasty fall off of a wall on stage 16 of the tour that left him bruised and bloodied.

Coming down a steep descent from Ported d'Aspet in the Pyrenees, the cyclist seemed to lose control of his bike, veering into a wall at the edge of the road and falling into the forested area below:

We've all been very scared, but @PhilippeGilbert is ok and will go back on the bike. ?
Après une grosse frayeur, @PhilippeGilbert semble aller bien et va repartir. ?#TDF2018 pic.twitter.com/Xtrjyw3QSf

— Le Tour de France (@LeTour) July 24, 2018

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Remarkably the 36-year-old was none too fazed by the fall, and it was mere minutes before he was back on his bike. Even more remarkably, Gilbert managed to catch up with the peloton, and could be seen nursing his arm following the fall.

? The most aggressive legs!
Les jambes du plus combatif du jour @PhilippeGilbert ?#PrixAntargaz #TDF2018 pic.twitter.com/voJCdF1zHN

— Le Tour de France (@LeTour) July 24, 2018

There was another unfortunate incident earlier in the day, when several riders got pepper spray in their eyes after police tried to disperse a protest by farmers on the track near Fanjeaux, 18 miles into stage 16. The protesters dumped bales of hay on the road and the mace used by the authorities to move the demonstrators ended up in the eyes of the competitors, with the race being stopped so that doctors could attend the cyclists.

Current Tour de France leader Geraint Thomas was one of over 100 riders that had to stop after being affected by the incident.