Pogacar, Vingegaard escape unscathed after crash on Tour forces halt of Stage 14

Britain's James Shaw, left, gets medical assistance as France's Romain Bardet, second right, talks to his team, after both riders crashed and retired from the race during the fourteenth stage of the Tour de France cycling race over 152 kilometers (94.5 miles) with start in Annemasse and finish in Morzine Les Portes du Soleil, France. (Thibault Camus/AP)

ANNEMASSE, France (AP) — Spanish rider Antonio Pedrero was evacuated by ambulance following a mass pile-up that briefly halted the 14th stage of the Tour de France soon after the start on Saturday.

Louis Meintjes, who was 13th overall, abandoned with a suspected broken collarbone. Esteban Chaves, from the EF Education Easypost team, also quit. Local hope Romain Bardet and James Shaw joined the list of withdrawals further down the road after they crashed in a downhill.

Dozens of racers crashed on a bend on a slippery road in Annemasse and many received treatment. An Intermarche-Circus-Wanty teammate of Meintjes, Adrien Petit, got back on his bike with his right leg bandaged.

Organizers decided to neutralize the stage for about 15 minutes. Stage 14 is a tough 152-kilometer (94-mile) trek featuring five climbs in the Alps.

Neither of the two race leaders was involved in the crash. Defending champion Jonas Vingegaard leads two-time champion Tadej Pogacar by just nine seconds.

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