The Giro d’Italia Donne took a dramatic turn during its fifth stage when Elisa Longo Borghini, the Italian champion, experienced a major fall. While descending from the climb to the sanctuary of Sant’Ignazio, she lost control of her bike. Thankfully, she was able to get back in the saddle and carry on.
The treacherous final descent of the race caused not just one but two accidents. Van Vleuten had a close call in her pursuit of Antonia Niedermaier, however, managed to recover from a minor slip. Longo Borghini’s experience was grimmer; after losing control and flipping over the handlebars, she was down for some time.
After the fall, the Lidl-Trek cyclist resumed racing, but the recovery time greatly affected her standing in the overall competition. She and her teammate, Shirin van Anrooij, crossed the finish line much later than Van Vleuten. These events are a significant setback for Longo Borghini, recently recognised as Van Vleuten’s primary rival.
Elisa Longo Borghini was taken to hospital once the stage was finished but the outcome appears to be positive with no major injuries and just small cuts from the crash.
We can confirm that Elisa Longo Borghini has left the hospital, where she underwent an X-ray of her pelvis and right shoulder, which ruled out the presence of fractures. She also underwent a brain scan, as she hit her head during the crash (though without damage to her helmet), which came back negative of any injuries. Elisa underwent also a neurological consultation, which ruled out further consequences.
At the end, she suffered contusions and abrasions to the right side of her body. Given the concussion protocol required in such cases, she will remain under observation by the team doctor for the next few hours. Any decision regarding her presence tomorrow at #GiroDonne will be made in the morning.
Lidl-Trek team statement
