Picnic PostNL's Eleonora Ciabocco has escaped with only abrasions, cuts and stitches after a crash in Trofeo Alfredo Binda saw her hit the tarmac hard and abandon the race on Sunday.
Ciabocco, 22, was in the reduced lead group when she seemed to collide with Letizia Paternoster (Liv AlUla Jayco) with 24km to go, just as the bunch crested the Orino climb and kicked into action.
Though the television broadcast only caught the crash in a long shot, cameras did pick up the aftermath of the incident, where Ciabocco was seen lying face down on the road and not moving.
As Paternoster got up but Ciabocco didn't, there was concern for the young rider's condition on Sunday evening. But an update from her team on Monday morning confirmed she had fortunately escaped any major injuries.
"After her crash at Trofeo Binda yesterday, Eleonora Ciabocco went for further checks at the hospital. She has some abrasions and cuts on her face, that required stitching, but nothing is broken," Picnic PostNL wrote on social media.
Though she luckily avoided any muscular or bone injuries, the team are still monitoring her.
"Due to the nature of the fall, we will also continue to monitor her for signs of concussion; allowing her enough time to recover steadily and without rushing back into training or racing."
Before Trofeo Binda, Ciabocco had enjoyed a positive start to the season, climbing well on the final stage of the UAE Tour to seal sixth overall, and then taking 24th at Strade Bianche. She is also a former fifth-placed finisher at the Tour de l'Avenir Femmes. Signed straight out of the juniors in 2023, the Italian is fast becoming one of Picnic PostNL's main climbers and GC contenders.
After the crash, Ciabocco's teammate Pfeiffer Georgi ended up with the lead group that would go on to win the race. However, the British rider was dropped before the finale as Karlijn Swinkels (UAE Team ADQ) won the race in a three-up sprint. She settled for 13th, Picnic's best finisher of the day.
"Heal up, Ele! We’ll see you back in action when you’re ready!" the team's post concluded.
