Amid all the chaos of an explosive fifth stage, Noemi Rüegg was knocked off her bike by a Shimano motorbike during the Tour de France Femmes, with groups, riders and vehicles scattered across the 160km course.
Rüegg was part of an early 19-rider breakaway on the road from Mâcon to Belleville-en-Beaujolais, but was dropped by the strongest climbers, caught, and then passed by the Demi Vollering-driven group of GC favourites towards the top of the Col de Durbize.
As she approached the QOM point at the crest, Rüegg was shown on the TV broadcast to be looking behind over her right shoulder, likely for team leader Cédrine Kerbaol who had been dropped by the Dutch rider, but then veered to her left as she went to put her right hand back on the handlebars.
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At the same time, a Shimano neutral service bike was coming from behind to overtake the former Swiss champion, but clipped her as Rüegg's bike drifted towards it when she went to look up the climb again. She did come down but was able to stick a leg and arm out, quickly remounting before the top of the climb and appearing uninjured.
Rüegg was next spotted on the descent alongside Kerbaol, in a group which also contained defending champion Pauline Ferrand-Prévot, who was also dropped by Vollering and FDJ United SUEZ.
The Tour de France Femmes is Rüegg's first race back since crashing heavily and fracturing her scapula during the Vuelta Femenina in May.
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