On a rainy day with low-hanging clouds and slippery roads, stage 2 of La Vuelta Femenina saw riders go down in two crashes in the final kilometres. Though unhurt, Marianne Vos (Visma-Lease a Bike) missed a chance to sprint for the stage and a possible red jersey.
Alison Jackson (EF Education-Cannondale) came away with the win, crossing the line ahead of new race leader Blanka Vas (SD Worx-Protime), who was second on the stage, and third-placed Karlijn Swinkels (UAE Team ADQ).
The first crash happened only metres inside the 3km mark and involved Mischa Bredewold, Niamh Fisher-Black (both SD Worx-Protime), Eline Jansen (VolkerWessels), Lizzie Deignan (Lidl-Trek), Clara Emond (EF Education-Cannondale) as well as Vos and her teammate Anna Henderson.
Vos quickly got back on her bike, but she could not manage to return to the front of the race, finishing 27th in the end. Her teammate Henderson was hit heavier with Emond crashing on top of her. Henderson got to her feet but did not finish the stage, only listed on the results sheet because of the 3km rule.
Henderson was taken to hospital for further examination. On Tuesday morning, the team announced that Henderson had broken her collarbone and would not start stage 3. Likewise, Emond is out of the race with an elbow fracture.
Lidl-Trek confirmed to Cyclingnews that Deignan only felt soreness after the crash, joining the team’s injury list that already included Ellen van Dijk and Elynor Bäckstedt after their crash on the stage 1 team time trial. Elisa Longo Borghini had crashed very early on the stage but did not incur any injuries.
Only a few hundred metres up the road, the bike of Magdeleine Vallieres (EF Education-Cannondale) slipped in a roundabout, taking out Emma Norsgaard as well as Liane Lippert, Mareille Meijering (all Movistar Team), Georgia Baker and Teniel Campbell (both Liv-AlUla-Jayco) and Mieke Docx (Lotto Dstny Ladies). Maud Rijnbeek (AG Insurance-Soudal) also couldn’t avoid the crash and somersaulted over the crash barrier.
Fortunately, Rijnbeek had no serious injuries and could finish the stage. Norsgaard got back up with her teammates’ assistance, and the team confirmed to Cyclingnews that she had a wound on her elbow that required stitches as well as several bruises but was otherwise OK. Lippert also suffered minor bruises while Meijering – who had already crashed on the descent of the Puerto de L’Oronet – was fine.
Liv-AlUla-Jayco confirmed that Baker and Campbell felt sore after the crash but had no further injuries. VolkerWessels confirmed that Jansen, involved in the first large pileup, had a small cut on her knee but was otherwise unhurt.
