Lorena Wiebes has not suffered any serious injuries from her hard crash in the sixth stage of the Tour de France Femmes. Team DSM reports Friday evening that the Dutch sprinter is okay. Stage winner Marlen Reusser will not start in the seventh stage due to a concussion.
The 23-year-old Wiebes crashed hard in a descent at 23 kilometers from the finish. She was in pain after the fall and chased the peloton with a bloodied elbow, but was unable to keep up. In the end she crossed the line at more than seven minutes from stage winner Marianne Vos.
A few hours later it became clear that Wiebes had some abrasions from the crash. She also needed some stitches in one of her elbows.
It is still unclear whether Wiebes can start on Saturday in the seventh stage. “Lorena will be closely monitored next night”, Team DSM reports Twitter. “After that, it will be decided whether she is fit enough to start in tomorrow’s stage.”
Wiebes has already won two stages in the Tour de France Femmes. She sprinted to victory in the opening stage on the Champs-Élysées in Paris and was again the strongest in a bunch sprint on Thursday. She also wears the green jersey, because Vos – who is leading the points classification – already has the yellow jersey in her possession.
Ride winner Reusser no longer starts due to concussion
Where it is still unknown whether Wiebes will start on Saturday, Reusser will no longer participate in the seventh stage. The Swiss of the Dutch team SD Worx was left with a concussion after a fall in the sixth stage, as it turned out in the hospital. She now needs to rest for her recovery.
Reusser is a teammate at SD Worx of Demi Vollering and Chantal van den Broek-Blaak, among others. The time trial specialist soloed to victory in the fourth stage of the Tour.
The Tour de France Femmes is ready for a tough ride through the Vosges on Saturday. After 126.7 kilometers the finish is in Le Markstein. The executioner in the final is the ascent of the Grand Ballon (13.5 kilometers with an average increase of 6.7 percent). On Sunday, the climbers will again be up for the final stage, when the finish is at La Super Planche des Belles Filles.