The final stage of the 2025 Baloise Ladies Tour was set up for a textbook sprint showdown in Deinze, but the outcome was anything but straightforward. While Martina Fidanza claimed the stage win and Zoe Bäckstedt sealed the overall title, a major crash in the final corner cast a shadow over proceedings and brought a premature end to the sprint for some of the pre-stage favourites.
The day began with Canyon-SRAM zondacrypto and Picnic-PostNL setting the tone in defence of their GC and stage ambitions respectively. The peloton kept things largely under control, with the only significant move coming inside the final 10km as Scarlett Souren of VolkerWessels launched a bold solo attack. She carved out a brief gap, but was swept up with 2km remaining as the pace increased toward the expected bunch finish.
The run-in through the streets of Deinze was fast and technical, and just as the peloton swept into the final corner, disaster struck. A large crash brought down several riders, most notably Charlotte Kool, Fien Van Eynde and American rider Alexis Magner.
Kool, the winner of stage 1 and one of the favourites for the finale, went over the handlebars and was visibly shaken on the pavement, unable to remount. Van Eynde was also involved, while Magner appeared to be the most seriously injured. The 23-year-old was left motionless on the tarmac after what witnesses described as a heavy impact to her chest.
Photo Credit: GettyMedical personnel were immediately on the scene. According to Sporza, Alexis Magner had to be resuscitated and stabilised at the roadside before being transferred to hospital. The race medical team confirmed she was in a stable condition, though further details on the extent of her injuries were not available. Police and UCI officials have since requested official footage of the incident, indicating that a formal investigation may follow.
Despite the chaos, the race did not neutralise, and the remaining riders pushed on to the line. Fidanza, guided into position by Nienke Veenhoven, stayed upright and surged ahead of Barbara Guarischi and Chiara Consonni to take the win – her second of the 2025 season.
Zoe Bäckstedt, safely behind the crash, avoided any late drama and rolled over the line to confirm her overall victory. The British rider, who had retaken the leader’s jersey with a solo win on stage 3 and extended her lead in the stage 4 time trial, became the youngest winner in the history of the Baloise Ladies Tour. She also won the youth and points classifications.
Speaking after the stage, Bäckstedt said:
“Yeah, I was next to it, and in the sprint, when you’re going so fast, you don’t really see what happened. But I really just hope everyone is alright. It sounded, and from my side vision, it looked awful. So yeah, I wish everyone the best.”
Further updates on Kool and Van Eynde are expected in the coming days. Kool was reported to be conscious and talking to team staff post-race but did not take part in the podium ceremony. Van Eynde walked away from the crash under her own power but will undergo assessment.
2025 Baloise Ladies Tour Stage 5 result
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2025 Baloise Ladies Tour GC result
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Main photo credit: Getty
