Demi Vollering’s continuation in the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift hangs in the balance after a heavy crash in the final kilometres of Stage 3 left the race favourite battered and awaiting medical clearance to stay in the fight for yellow.
Further medical tests, including a second concussion protocol, will be conducted on Tuesday morning to determine whether the Dutch GC contender is fit to start Stage 4.
“Further tests, including a second concussion protocol, will be carried out tomorrow morning to rule out any suspicion. These results will enable Demi and the team to confirm whether or not she will be at the start line tomorrow,” FDJ-SUEZ announced.
The crash happened just 3.7km from the finish line, as the peloton surged through a fast, narrowing bend en route to a sprint finale.
A large number of riders hit the deck in the pile-up, including Puck Pieterse (Fenix-Deceuninck), Chloe Dygert (Canyon-SRAM), and Elisa Balsamo (Lidl-Trek). But it was last year’s runner-up, Vollering, who was among the last to rise from the tangle, visibly shaken and slow to get to her feet.
Stage 4 is another sprint day for the peloton. The apck will traverse the 130 kilometres between Saumur and Poitiers.