The 61st edition of the Ronde van Lekkerkerk was called off on Thursday following a serious crash involving Ellen van Dijk. Just over an hour into the race, the Dutch rider fell hard, prompting organisers to stop the race. An ambulance arrived around 20 minutes later to provide medical assistance. The extent of Van Dijk’s injuries has not yet been confirmed.
The race, held traditionally on Ascension Day, had attracted one of the strongest fields in its history. Marianne Vos, the defending champion, returned to Lekkerkerk as the only rider from Visma – Lease a Bike. Lidl-Trek teammates Ellen van Dijk and Lucinda Brand were also present and expected to race aggressively. Anna van der Breggen made a rare appearance in the peloton, riding for SD Worx alongside Femke Markus and Lisa van Belle.
VolkerWessels brought a full squad with Anneke Dijkstra, who finished second last year, joined by Eline Jansen, Femke Beuling and Meis Poland. Liv AlUla Jayco fielded Silke Smulders and Quinty Ton, while FDJ-Suez lined up Amber Kraak and Loes Adegeest.
Arkea’s Marjolein van ‘t Geloof was tipped as one to watch following strong results in Gent-Wevelgem and Nokere Koerse. Other contenders included Nicole Steigenga of AG Insurance-Soudal, EF Education-Oatly’s Nina Kessler, and Yara Kastelijn of Fenix-Deceuninck, who had just completed a strong run at the Vuelta a España and Vuelta a Burgos.
Deborah Veerman was also involved in the incident and later confirmed she was experiencing elbow pain but otherwise avoided serious injury.
The race will not be rescheduled, and no winner will be declared for the 2025 edition. Further updates on Van Dijk’s condition are expected in due course.
