A high-speed mass crash with just under 2km to go in stage 3 of the Vuelta a Burgos Féminas saw 29 riders hit the ground and held up many others. Seven riders did not finish the race, and although they could start Sunday’s stage 4 as the crash falls under the 3km rule, their injuries make this unlikely.
On the run-in to the sprint finish in Melgar de Fernamental, the sprint trains were fighting for position on a slight downhill that began 2.5km from the line. A touch of wheels at high speed caused a chain reaction of crashes spreading all the way across the road, with two riders somersaulting over the roadside crash barriers.
A total of 29 riders went to the ground, most with no time to react to the chaos unfolding in front of and around them. Many other riders were held up as only 45 riders were ahead of the crash. Due to the three-kilometre rule, all those riders, whether crashed or held up, were given the same time as stage winner Lorena Wiebes (SD Worx-Protime).
Évita Muzic (FDJ-SUEZ), second place overall after stage 3, was missing from the provisional GC, but the team confirmed to Cyclingnews that she was only held up and did not crash herself. Muzic’s teammates Cecilie Uttrup Ludwig and Nina Buijsman did go down, though, and Buijsman could not finish the race, suffering a cut to her eyebrow, a possible concussion, and a collarbone injury.
Shirin van Anrooij (Lidl-Trek), the wearer of the white U23 jersey, was one of the crash victims but could finish the race and only had a cut to her hand.
Visma-Lease a Bike saw all five riders go down. Margaux Vigie, Linda Riedmann, Rosita Reijnhout, and Maud Oudeman suffered serious abrasions but finished the stage while Eva van Agt – just reeled in after being in the breakaway – was taken to hospital for further checks.
DSM-Firmenich PostNL’s Eglantine Rayer was one of the riders tumbling over the crash barriers. She was also taken to hospital, as was Isabel Martín (Eneicat-CMTeam), who suffered a fractured collarbone.
Laura Tomasi (Laboral Kutxa-Fundación Euskadi) suffered several wounds that required stitches but had no fractures. The medical checks on her teammate Jessenia Meneses were still ongoing at the time of writing.
Laury Milette’s team, Komugi-Grand Est, confirmed that the 21-year-old Canadian also suffered several abrasions but no fractures.
All the other riders got back on their bikes to finish the stage. Cristina Tonetti and Debora Silvestri (both Laboral Kutxa-Fundación Euskadi) suffered abrasions, and Paula Patiño (Movistar Team) had a small injury on her knee.
