McNulty unhurt after driver confrontation before Tour time trial
UAE Emirates XRG boss Mauro Gianetti said Brandon McNulty collided with a car after an angry motorist stopped ahead of him.
By Georgia Hale · Staff Writer
2 min read
American cyclist Brandon McNulty was not hurt after a confrontation with a motorist before Tuesday’s Stage 16 time trial at the Tour de France, according to UAE Emirates XRG chief executive Mauro Gianetti.
Gianetti told Eurosport that McNulty, who rides for the same team as race leader Tadej Pogačar, was on his way to the stage start when a driver overtook him and then stopped the car. McNulty then collided with the vehicle, Gianetti said.
The team boss said the driver was angry and was a member of the public, rather than someone connected to the race. He described the incident as unpleasant but not serious, according to the Associated Press.
McNulty was scheduled to compete later Tuesday in the time trial, the AP reported. No injury was reported.
The incident added an unwanted jolt before a key day on the Tour route. Stage 16 was a technical 26.1-kilometer individual time trial beside Lake Geneva, near the Swiss border.
Pogačar entered the stage with a five-minute advantage over Remco Evenepoel in the overall standings, according to the AP. McNulty’s UAE Emirates XRG team has been riding with Pogačar in yellow as the race moves toward its final week.
Evenepoel had won Stage 15 on Sunday, a day that also saw Pogačar’s main rival Jonas Vingegaard crash out of the race, the AP reported.
The Tour de France is scheduled to finish July 26 in Paris.
This story draws on original reporting from ESPN.com.