Philippe Gilbert led Stage 16 at the Tour de France until he scarily crashed over a wall

After attacking the pre-climb portions of Tuesday’s course at the Tour de France, Belgian cyclist Philippe Gilbert found himself in the lead with 60 kilometers remaining in Stage 16. Then, in a flash, he was gone.

A scary loss of control carried Gilbert over a stone wall and off the road entirely, depositing him head over feet into the woods. He dropped approximately six feet to the earth below before being helped back to the road by course staffers.

The crash came not far from where Italian gold medalist Fabio Casartelli had died during the 1995 race. Fortunately, Gilbert avoided disaster and, seemingly, any major injuries. He emerged from the woods and got back on his bike to finish the race.

Gilbert raced through the final 56 kilometers of the course to finish the stage, only to find he’d broken his kneecap after being checked out by medical staff afterward.

Stage 16 is a notoriously mountainous route that winds through the Alps from Carcassonne to Bagneres. Here’s what Podium Cafe’s Chris Fontecchio had to say about the stage before Tuesday’s start:

Personally I see this as a descender’s stage. The obvious reason is that it ends on one, but descending in the Pyrenées is supposed to be tricky, and in case you weren’t sure, there is the grim reminder of the monument to Fabio Casartelli on the Portet d’Aspet, who died on that descent. The road hits -17% at one point. Thankfully it happens early enough in the stage for everyone to be extra careful, and of course they will all be well aware of the tragic history here.

Gilbert, a talented rider who wasn’t a serious threat to take home this year’s title, was in great shape to earn just the second Tour de France stage victory of his career. Instead, he lost control on his descent and was lucky just to be in a position to finish the race. And, somehow, that’s not even the craziest thing to happen Tuesday.