Watch 'absolute disaster' moment as EF Education-Oatly rider Noemi Ruegg collides with motorbike during Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift
By Leon Imber
Published 05/08/2026 at 19:55 GMT+1
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EF Education-Oatly rider Noemi Ruegg was the victim of "an absolute disaster" as she collided with the Shimano neutral service motorbike and went to ground during Stage 5 of the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift. Fortunately, Ruegg was able to get back to racing very shortly after the collision.
'Absolute disaster' as motorbike sends Ruegg tumbling
Video credit: TNT Sports
Having been a part of the early breakaway, Ruegg was dropped by the Tour de France Femmes favourites in a chaotic stage and appeared to be looking over her shoulder for team leader Cedrine Kerbaol when the incident occurred near the summit of Col de Durbize.
In the process, Ruegg veered to her left, not knowing that the neutral service motorbike was following closely behind.
The Swiss rider was subsequently clipped and went to ground. She quickly got back to her feet, and did not appear to be nursing any significant injury as a result.
"The motorbike has clipped Noemi Ruegg and taken her down," Marty MacDonald said on commentary for TNT Sports.
"Absolute disaster moment there, Ruegg looking around and the motorbike clipped her. Those bikes have to be so careful when they're passing the riders."
Dani Christmas added: "Noemi was looking behind, trying to find where her team leader Cedrine Kerbaol was.
"She looked and deviated from her line, because she was looking behind her, but that was an absolute disaster there. Looked like she was up relatively quickly."
The Tour de France Femmes is Ruegg's first race back since suffering a fractured scapula which required surgery during the Vuelta Feminina in May.
Ruegg managed to complete Wednesday's fifth stage, crossing the line in 36th, while Demi Vollering (FDJ United-Suez) outsprinted Kasia Niewiadoma-Phinney (Canyon-SRAM zondacrypto) and yellow jersey holder Marlen Reusser (Movistar) to claim the stage victory.
Reusser retains the leaders' jersey, but is now ahead of Vollering by just 12".
Niewiadoma-Phinney, meanwhile, is third in the general classification, 1'17" behind.
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