Just one day after storming to a breakthrough solo win in Warkworth, Mara Roldan’s Tour of Britain Women came to a cruel halt. The Picnic-PostNL rider crashed heavily during stage 3 in Kelso and was later diagnosed with a broken femur, ending what had looked like a fairytale week for the Canadian.
The crash came with 56 kilometres to go on a wet and technical descent into town, moments before the riders reached the finish line for the first time. Roldan, riding near the front, lost traction in the slippery conditions and went down hard. What followed was one of the most chaotic scenes of the race so far, as more than 20 riders fell in the same corner. Over 30 were caught up in total, and nine riders abandoned before the finish.
Roldan lay on the ground receiving medical care for several minutes. Lizzie Deignan was seen immediately by her side, giving up her race ambitions to stay with the injured rider. A photo of the moment – Deignan crouched beside Roldan, holding her hand – quickly spread across social media and the peloton. Deignan would later be awarded the stage’s combativity prize.
Roldan’s team confirmed the news later on during the evening.
“Unfortunately in the crash at #ToBW🇬🇧 today, Mara Roldan suffered a broken femur😔 She undergoes surgery tomorrow, before beginning the road to recovery at her own pace. Heal up, Mara and we’ll see you in action when you’re ready! 🫶🏻”
The timing could not have been harsher. Just 24 hours earlier, Roldan had claimed her first-ever Women’s WorldTour win with a 14-kilometre solo attack, holding off the field into Warkworth in what was a career-defining moment. Still just 20 years old, the result had put her firmly on the map as one of the most exciting young talents to emerge from Canada in recent years.
Kelso was meant to be a chance to consolidate that result, but the Scottish weather had other plans. The tarmac, soaked by overnight rain, proved treacherous throughout the day. As well as Roldan, the crash took down several others including Barbara Guarischi, who was also taken to hospital for checks, and race leader Kristen Faulkner, who would later lose the overall lead after being caught behind a second major pile-up.
Letizia Paternoster also abandoned after sustaining an elbow injury, while Kim Le Court, who had crashed earlier in the race, chose to withdraw after feeling the effects of two consecutive hard days. Riders from teams such as Uno-X Mobility, DAS-Hutchinson and EF Education-Oatly were also among the withdrawals, with fatigue and weather taking a mounting toll.
Roldan’s injury may rule her out for much of the summer, but her performances in the opening stages of the race have left no doubt about her quality. Her resilience and bold racing style already mark her out as a rider to watch, and the response to her crash showed just how much respect she has earned in a short space of time.
Main photo credit: Cor Vos
