Claire Steels avoids serious injury in Vuelta a Extremadura Femenina crash

Claire Steels has avoided serious injury after being involved in a crash in the final bunch sprint on stage 1b of the Vuelta a Extremadura Femenina on Thursday. 

After the stage, her Movistar team anounced on social media that the 38-year-old Briton was suffering “severe shoulder pain", and on Friday morning provided an update confirming she had undergone examinations and did not have any serious injuries.

"After her crash yesterday, Claire Steels has a facial trauma with no bone or neurological effects," the team said..

Steels also posted an update to her Instagram story, sporting a black eye but giving a positive account of her injuries.

"Still smiling (ish) today!," she wrote. "Nothing broken just bruised, battered, swollen, a bit sad and incredibly lucky!" 

The crash took place in the final metres of the 90km stage in Mérida, held after the short time trial in the morning, as the peloton was charging to the final line, 25 seconds behind a two-rider breakaway.  

Steels went down with a few riders in the middle of the pack, and was taken away on a stretcher. She was officially recorded as finishing the stage, but did not start stage 2 on Friday.

Steels started the 2025 season with a series of Spanish races, beginning with Trofeo Palma Femina where her teammate Marlen Reusser secured the win. She went on to race Trofeo Binissalem-Andratx and Vuelta CV, before tackling the four days Setmana Ciclista Valenciana in mid-February once again in support of team leader, Reusser, who finished second overall.

After a short break, Steels returned to racing at Vuelta a Extremadura Femenina, where she finished 20th in stage 1a, the split-stage on the first day of racing.

A former duathlete, Steels turned professional with the Sopela Women’s Team in 2020, before switching to Israel Premier Tech Roland for a one-year stint. She then signed a three-year contract with the Spanish Women WorldTour squad, keeping her with the team until the end of 2026. 

In 2023, Steels soloed to victory at reVolta, took second at the British championships road race and third at the Durango Classic.

Last year, after sustaining two broken vertebrae from two crashes at the UAE Women Tour, Steels returned to racing two months later at La Flèche Wallonne Féminine. In June of that year, she finished second in the British time trial title won by Anna Henderson.

It's not yet confirmed what Steels' next race will be.