Emma Norsgaard abandons Tour de France Femmes after dramatic crash

A major crash with just over 45km remaining in stage 5 of the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift split the field considerably and saw Emma Norsgaard (Movistar team) go down hard and abandon the race.

The crash, which originated from the front right of the peloton, caused the majority of the main group to come down, with Norsgaard able to stand after the crash but proving to experience invisible pain, with what appeared to be an injury to her shoulder area.

Norsgaard abandoned shortly afterwards, having been taken from the roadside in an ambulance. 

Her Movistar team posted an update to social media after the stage was completed, stating that she "suffered from pain mostly to her head (which made her not available to continue), cervical vertebrae and also left shoulder." Norsgaard remained at Epinal hospital for evaluation and the team also later added that she had no fractures following the crash.

Chantal van den Broek-Blaak (SDWorx) was also being treated by the race medical car, holding a bandage to her elbow with blood dripping down her right arm - the crash saw her set back by around a minute, but later found her way back to the main group.

Marta Bastionelli of UAE ADQ also showed visible discomfort within the last 25km after having been involved in the crash, but was able to finish in the main bunch.

Norsgaard's abandon will be a blow to Annemiek van Vleuten’s GC campaign, as the Dutch team leader currently sits in eighth position, 1:18 down on current yellow jersey Marianne Vos (Jumbo-Visma).