What happens if a rider crashes or punctures near the end of a stage?

• The rule: "the rider or riders affected shall be credited with the time of the rider or riders in whose company they were riding at the moment of the incident".
• The place: decided by the order in which the riders cross the finishing line.
• What counts: an event outside the rider's control and not a matter of their strength, such as a fall involving several riders, a mechanical problem or a puncture.
• Telling the officials: affected riders are asked to raise a hand and report to a commissaire after the finish.
• Cannot finish: a rider who cannot cross the line after a fall involving several riders is placed last on the stage with the time of the group they were in.
• Summit finishes: "This article shall not apply where the finish is at the top of a hill-climb."
• Five kilometres: for stages expected to end in a bunch sprint, the UCI may extend the distance to five kilometres on request.
• Timing: a timing tape at the three-kilometre mark records who was in which group.
• Who decides: the commissaires' panel, independently.
• Team time trials: a similar rule applies from the red triangle at one kilometre.

The glossary has the general classification, the sprint, the peloton and the recognised mishap.

Without it, every rider with hopes in the general classification would have to fight for the front in the last kilometres of a sprint stage to avoid losing time behind a crash. The rule lets them stay out of the sprinters' way, which makes the finish safer for everyone.