Marta Cavalli pulls out of worlds as she continues recovery from Tour de France Femmes crash

Sadhbh O'Shea
·2 min read
  • Oops!
    Something went wrong.
    Please try again later.

This article originally appeared on Velo News

Marta Cavalli has announced that she will not race at the UCI Road World Championships later this month as she continues her recovery from a crash at the Tour de France Femmes in July.

Cavalli was forced to abandon the race during the second stage after she was hit from behind at high speed when she slowed to avoid another crash that had happened in front of her.

The force of the collision resulted in Cavalli being thrown from her bike and she landed on the back of her head as she fell down. Though she was initially able to get back on her bike, her FDJ-Suez-Futuroscope team pulled her out of the race.

With her victories at Amstel Gold Race and Fleche Wallonne earlier this year, Cavalli would have been one of the favorites for the rainbow jersey in Wollongong. It is a big blow to the Italian team, though the squad still goes in with defending champion Elisa Balsamo, who is also among the favorites for the win.

"Sadly, I've to say goodbye to Australia, I won't be at World Championship in Wollongong," Cavalli wrote. "My recovery is taking more time than expected and I'm still struggling after the crash in Tour de France. My team and me did the maximum but we've to take care about my health. It's hard but I hope to come back before the end of the season. Thanks to my team FDJ-Suez-Futuroscope and Italian team for the support."

Also read:

Following the accident, FDJ-Suez-Futuroscope manager Stephen Delcourt said that Parkhotel Valkenburg rider Nicole Frain, who was the rider that hit Cavalli from behind, should be removed from the race. Frain had been returning from an earlier crash and was attempting to ride around crashed riders when she collided with Cavalli.

Cavalli remained with the team for a few days after the crash as the medical staff monitored her for concussion symptoms before she was allowed to return home. She was diagnosed with a concussion, though she was cleared of any further injuries.

It was some 16 days before Cavalli was able to return to training, which was in the second week of August, but she has not yet raced again.

The road world championships will begin September 18 and finishes the following weekend.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by MARTA CAVALLI | Cyclist (@marta_cavalli)

For exclusive access to all of our fitness, gear, adventure, and travel stories, plus discounts on trips, events, and gear, sign up for Outside+ today.