Stage 1 of the RideLondon Classique saw several crashes that forced riders to abandon. With two riders not starting the stage, the peloton for stage 2 is reduced by 10 riders already.
The highest-profile rider to abandon the race was Elisa Balsamo (Trek-Segafredo). She crashed twice in the first half of the stage and eventually climbed off her bike. The team later stated she had suffered fractures in the left scaphoid bone as well as fractures of both the left and right mandible which will require surgery.
Mari Hole Mohr of Team Coop-Hitec Products went down even before Balsamo’s crash and also had to abandon the race. The team confirmed to Cyclingnews that Mohr was OK, but the Norwegian squad is down to only four riders as Josie Nelson did not start stage 1, still showing concussion symptoms after a crash at the Vuelta Femenina.
