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Crash Turns Tour de France into Running Event
This is What’s Trending Today.
The Tour de France is the most famous cycling event in the world. It takes place every year over three weeks in July.
Some of the most important stages of the event finish on top of mountains. That is because it is a chance for riders who are good at going uphill to move ahead of slower riders.
British cyclist Chris Froome is one of those riders. He won the Tour de France in 2013 and 2015. Heading into Thursday’s stage he was leading the race by 28 seconds.
Stage 12 finished on top of Mont Ventoux. The riders covered about 180 kilometers on Thursday. Mont Ventoux is famous for its steep sections.
Near the end of the stage, Australian rider Richie Porte was in front of Froome. Then he crashed into a motorcycle. Froome crashed into Porte, and his bike was so damaged, he could not keep riding.
Britain's Chris Froome, wearing the overall leader's yellow jersey, right, Netherlands’ Bauke Mollema, center, and Australia’s Richie Porte crash at the end of the twelfth stage of the Tour de France cycling race.
The road was packed with spectators. Froome’s support vehicle had a replacement bike, but it could not get through.
Instead of waiting, worried that he would lose time, Froome decided to run up the mountain. He was about 1 kilometer from the finish when he started running. Froome was running fast even though he was wearing shoes meant only for cycling!
Most people could not remember a cyclist running during a bike race. In fact, riders are not supposed to finish a stage without their bike.
Froome’s run was so surprising; it was a worldwide trending topic on Twitter. Many people used photo editing software to show Froome running in unique places.
One person showed him running away from bulls, as if he were in Pamplona, Spain.
Another showed him finishing ahead of sprinter Usain Bolt.
A third showed him running with Forrest Gump from the famous Tom Hanks movie.
A lot of people had fun with Froome’s panic. But some people were worried Froome would lose time on his rivals.
Britain's Chris Froome reacts after he crashed at the end of the twelfth stage of the Tour de France cycling race
Luckily for Froome, the crash did not affect his position in the race. Because the crash was not his fault, race officials adjusted his time.
Froome finished the stage with same time as the other riders he was with at the time of the crash.
And that’s What’s Trending Today.
I’m Dan Friedell.
Dan Friedell wrote this story for Learning English. Hai Do was the editor.
What did you think of Froome running in the Tour de France? Write to us in the Comments Section or on our Facebook page.
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Words in This Story
stage – n. a section or period of an event
spectator – n. a person who watches an event, show, game, activity, etc., often as part of an audience
panic – n. a state or feeling of extreme fear that makes someone unable to act or think normally
adjust – v. to change the position of (something)
steep – adj. almost straight up and down : rising or falling very sharply
edit – v. to prepare (something written) to be published or used : to make changes, correct mistakes, etc., in (something written)