Daniel Oss Fractures Neck in Crash With Spectator During Tour de France

The Tour de France started on July 1 and won't conclude until July 24, but for several racers, the competition ended early and abruptly this week.

During Stage 5 of the event, where bikers ride over cobblestone streets, cycling star Daniel Oss got into a high-speed, head-on collision with a fan watching from the side of the road.

Video of the incident shows the severity of the impact:

Oss and the other riders were clearly traveling at incredible rates of speed, and it appears from the video that he was knocked off course initially by one fan, which caused him to slam into the second.

Amazingly, the TMZ report explained that Oss was able to get up and cross the finish line after the crash. Medical scans taken later revealed that Oss had a broken neck, according to his team, Total Energies:

"Additional examinations revealed a fracture of a cervical vertebra," Oss' team said, adding that he'll now be required to be immobilized for "a few weeks."

Michael Gogl was also injured, suffering a broken collarbone and pelvis/iliac bone.

Obviously given the severity, both competitors will be out for the rest of the Tour de France.

With spectators standing so close to the path, this type of accident doesn't come as much of a surprise. Given the speeds and close proximity involved, it's a miracle it doesn't happen more often.

Hopefully, Oss and Gogl are able to make speedy recoveries and rejoin the cycling circuit soon.