Elisa Longo Borghini crashed on the final descent of stage 5 at the Giro Donne, and although she finished the race in Ceres, was later taken to a nearby hospital for additional medical checks to rule out a concussion, confirmed her team Lidl-Trek.
“Elisa crashed in the final descent of today's stage. After a few minutes, she got back on the saddle and finished the stage. After an immediate check-up, the team doctor decided for furthers check at the hospital, where she's right now,” the team said in a press release after the stage.
“In particular, Elisa feels pain in her right shoulder. After hitting her head, she will be submitted also to an appropriate check to rule out concussions. More updates later.”
Longo Borghini fell through a hairpin corner on the final descent of the stage. She got back on her bike and finished the race at 7:33 behind the day's stage winner Antonia Niedermaier (Canyon-SRAM), but lost time in the general classification and slipped from second place to seventeenth, now at 8:18 behind overall leader Annemiek van Vleuten (Movistar).
Lidl-Trek later confirmed that Longo Borghini has sustained contusions and abrasions but has no fractures and a medical check for a possible concussion came back negative, but she will remain under observation.
The team will make a decision as to whether Longo Borghini will start stage 6 at the Giro Donne on Wednesday morning.
"Elisa Longo Borghini has left the hospital of Ciriè. At the end of today's stage of Giro Donne, Elisa went with team doctor Francesca Della Bianca for checks following the crash that took place on the descent from the last QOM and that lead to the finish in Ceres," the team wrote in a medical statement.
"Elisa underwent an X-ray of her pelvis and right shoulder, the most painful part of her body, which ruled out the presence of fractures. She also underwent a brain scan, as she hit the head during the crash (though without damage to her helmet), which came back negative of any injuries. Afterwards, Elisa underwent a neurological consultation, which ruled out further consequences. Elisa also suffered several contusions and abrasions to the right side of the body, in particular the shoulder, scapula and ribs."
"Given the concussion protocol required in such cases, Longo Borghini will remain under observation by the team doctor for the next hours. Therefore, any decision regarding Elisa's presence at the start of stage 6 of Giro Donne will be made tomorrow morning."
After her stage win on Monday, Longo Borghini went into the queen stage of the Giro Donne sitting in second overall, 49 seconds behind race leader Van Vleuten.
With the cima coppi, the Passo del Lupo, coming very early on in the race, Van Vleuten used it to launch her bid for an even greater lead in the GC, and Longo Borghini was unable to follow. Van Vleuten crested the top of the Passo del Lupo with Longo Borghini’s Lidl Trek teammate, Gaia Realini, in tow but the pair were caught by a chasing group containing Niamh Fisher Black (SD Worx) and Longo Borghini.
A third chase group then joined the front group between the bottom of the Passo del Lupo and the next categorised climb. Eventual stage winner, Antonia Niedermaier attacked over the top of the penultimate climb and it was left to Longo Borghini and Van Vleuten to chase down the young German.
The pair were gaining time on the Canyon-SRAM rider on the final climb of Sant’Ignazio before Van Vleuten accelerated away from the Italian champion towards the top.
With Van Vleuten in pursuit of Niedermaier and Longo Borghini in pursuit of Van Vleuten, the pair took risks on the descent which saw both riders come off their bikes in separate crashes on the same corner.
Van Vleuten was first to lose control just before the hairpin bend, exiting the road onto a grass verge before quickly righting herself and getting back onto her bike and in pursuit of Niedermaier.
“It was really exciting, it was also what I think we want for women’s cycling to have it exciting,” Van Vleuten said after the stage. “I think today I put on a show. Also to make it even more exciting, in the final descent I took a little bit too much risk but nothing bad.”
A few seconds later, however, Longo Borghini overshot the same corner, but the Italian rider was unable to scrub off as much speed as the world champion and went straight off the road and into the trees, her right shoulder taking the majority of the impact.
While Van Vleuten was able to continue almost immediately, Longo Borghini took her time getting off the ground and back onto her bike, losing precious GC time as she did so.
The former Paris Roubaix winner eventually got back on the road and crossed the line 7:33 down, accompanied by teammate Shirin van Anrooij and sporting cuts and bruises to her arm and face.
As a result of Longo Borghini’s crash and eventual time loss, stage winner Niedermaier now holds second place on GC, 2:07 behind Van Vleuten, while Veronica Ewers (EF Education-TIBCO-SVB) remains in third overall at 2:18 back.
