Elisa Balsamo (Lidl-Trek) and Sofia Bertizzolo (UAE Team ADQ) were forced to abandon the Vuelta a Burgos Féminas after a crash during the final sprint on stage 1 that sent both riders to hospital to receive medical treatment for their injuries.
The high-speed crash happened in the closing metres of the stage into Burgos. After a late left turn, Bertizzolo came out of the slipstream with 150 metres to go but lost control of her front wheel and crashed into Balsamo, pushing her into barriers at high speed.
A medical update from Lidl-Trek confirmed that Balsamo had sustained a fracture to her nasal bone and second metacarpal while also sustaining a concussion.
"An initial assessment & scans have revealed a fractured nasal bone and concussion for Elisa Balsamo after the crash on Vuelta a Burgos Stage 1 alongside a fractured second metacarpal," Lidl-Trek confirmed in a medical update.
Balsamo's compatriot Bertizzolo was taken to Hospital Universitario de Burgos, where x-rays confirmed that she suffered a fracture in her left radius.
"Following the crash that occurred today in the finale of the first stage of the Vuelta a Burgos Feminas and that involved UAE Team ADQ athlete Sofia Bertizzolo, clinical examinations carried out at the Hospital Universitario de Burgos revealed a fracture of the radius of the left forearm," UAE Team ADQ confirmed following the race.
"A plaster cast has been applied to Sofia Bertizzolo, and recovery time will be evaluated in the coming days by the team's medical staff.
"We wish Sofia a speedy recovery."
