🎥 Women's World Cycling Championships marred by severe crash, favourite Paula Blasi abandons

The Women's World Cycling Championships were marred by a serious crash on Saturday, 95 kilometers from the finish. On a downhill stretch leading to the start-and-finish area, approximately fifteen riders—including defending champion Magdeleine Vallieres and Paula Blasi—crashed hard onto the asphalt.

During the first full local lap, the peloton was riding on a wide, downhill road when a group of riders suddenly went down. The Netherlands was in the lead, but lost key rider Femke de Vries in the crash. De Vries crossed the finish line one and a half minutes behind the peloton on the next lap.

Defending champion Magdeleine Vallieres of Canada, Kim Le Court (Mauritius), and Niahm Fisher-Black (New Zealand). Spanish favorite Paula Blasi (withdrew) and France’s Evita Muzic were the biggest names involved in the crash. American Kate Courtney, an underdog riding for FDJ-Suez, was also involved.

In particular, Australia's Loretta Hanson, Poland's Marta Jaskulska, and Sweden's Caroline Anderson were in bad shape. Julia Borgstrom, another Swede, managed to continue to the finish line, but there she stopped racing, crying and in shock.