On a wet day with low-hanging clouds and slippery roads, stage 2 of La Vuelta Femenina noticed riders go down in two crashes within the ultimate kilometres. Though unharmed, Marianne Vos (Visma-Lease a Bike) missed an opportunity to dash for the stage and a attainable pink jersey.
Alison Jackson (EF Education-Cannondale) got here away with the win, crossing the road forward of latest race chief Blanka Vas (SD Worx-Protime), who was second on the stage, and third-placed Karlijn Swinkels (UAE Team ADQ).
The first crash occurred solely metres contained in the 3km mark and concerned Mischa Bredewold, Niamh Fisher-Black (each SD Worx-Protime), Eline Jansen (VolkerWessels), Lizzie Deignan (Lidl-Trek), Clara Emond (EF Education-Cannondale) in addition to Vos and her teammate Anna Henderson.
Vos rapidly acquired again on her bike, however she couldn’t handle to return to the entrance of the race, ending twenty seventh in the long run. Her teammate Henderson was hit heavier with Emond crashing on prime of her. Henderson acquired to her ft however didn’t end the stage, solely listed on the outcomes sheet due to the 3km rule.
Henderson was taken to hospital for additional examination, the staff solely stating “Let’s hope she is OK” on social media.
Lidl-Trek confirmed to Cyclingnews that Deignan solely felt soreness after the crash, becoming a member of the staff’s harm record that already included Ellen van Dijk and Elynor Bäckstedt after their crash on the stage 1 staff time trial. Elisa Longo Borghini had crashed very early on the stage however didn’t incur any accidents.
Only a couple of hundred metres up the highway, the bike of Magdeleine Vallieres (EF Education-Cannondale) slipped in a roundabout, taking out Emma Norsgaard in addition to Liane Lippert, Mareille Meijering (all Movistar Team), Georgia Baker and Teniel Campbell (each Liv-AlUla-Jayco) and Mieke Docx (Lotto Dstny Ladies). Maud Rijnbeek (AG Insurance-Soudal) additionally couldn’t keep away from the crash and somersaulted over the crash barrier.
Fortunately, Rijnbeek had no severe accidents and will end the stage. Norsgaard acquired again up along with her teammates’ help, and the staff confirmed to Cyclingnews that she had a wound on her elbow that required stitches in addition to a number of bruises however was in any other case OK. Lippert additionally suffered minor bruises whereas Meijering – who had already crashed on the descent of the Puerto de L’Oronet – was advantageous.
Liv-AlUla-Jayco confirmed that Baker and Campbell felt sore after the crash however had no additional accidents. VolkerWessels confirmed that Jansen, concerned within the first giant pileup, had a small reduce on her knee however was in any other case unharmed.
