Australian national champion Nicole Frain (Parkhotel Valkenburg) made it through stage 2 of the Tour de France Femmes despite coming down in a horrific crash in the latter half of the stage to Provins on Monday.
The 29-year-old was caught up in a crash inside 30km to go and was chasing back on when she ran into FDJ-SUEZ Futuroscope's Marta Cavalli, who had stopped behind a second wreck.
Immediately after the stage, Frain said she carried speed into the peloton thinking there was a gap. "I thought I was going to make it through. And then there was a rider right in front and, yeah, you’ve probably seen the replay," she said on Eurosport.
Frain later posted on social media apologising for the incident.
"No, today didn't go as I hoped. It was hectic and I didn't feel comfortable all day. After working hard to come back to the peloton in the convoy with my teammate, the speed [with which] we rejoined the pack would have matched their pace. Unfortunately, as I came off the wheel I was unaware [of] riders on the road from another crash.
"My teammate went left off the road but I didn't have the opportunity to do the same given I didn't see [the crash]. This meant I crashed overtop of the riders on the ground.
"Naturally, this was never my intention and I am sorry for those involved. I am sore as well and will monitor how I feel. I'm lucky I could get back on my bike.
Italian cycling site bici.PRO also reported that at the end of the stage Frain spoke to the sports director of FDJ-SUEZ-Futuroscope as well as Cavalli.
“I won't tell you what we said to each other, I prefer it to remain reserved but of course I apologized to them and to her,” said Frain in the bici.Pro report.
La chute de Frain et Cavalli vue de derrière. #TDFF #LesRP pic.twitter.com/WdSYo1PA1KJuly 25, 2022
🇫🇷 #TDFF La italiana Marta Cavalli presenta lesiones en su cráneo, tras la espantosa caída ocurrida en el Tour de France femenino. pic.twitter.com/Fw8DtjjnopJuly 25, 2022