Maeva Squiban avoids fractures after painful Tour de France Femmes crash ends stage-winning breakaway bid in tears
CyclingSunday, 09 August 2026 at 12:00
Maeva Squiban has avoided any fractures or serious injuries after a painful late crash brought her Stage 8 breakaway bid to an abrupt end at the Tour de France Femmes.
The Frenchwoman had spent much of the day at the front alongside Loes Adegeest and was still in contention for a major result when she crashed heavily on the descent following the Colomars climb with around 14 kilometres remaining.
Squiban was visibly emotional after hitting the ground, shouting out in pain and struggling to control her bike with both hands as she attempted to continue. She nevertheless completed the stage before being taken to hospital in Nice accompanied by UAE Team L'IMAD's medical staff.
“Following her crash today during Stage 8 of the Tour de France Femmes, while in the breakaway, Maeva Squiban completed the stage and was taken to hospital in Nice for further examinations, accompanied by the team’s medical staff,” UAE Team L'IMAD said. “The examinations ruled out any fractures or serious injuries, revealing only bruises and superficial wounds.”
Squiban's long breakaway ends on descent
Squiban and Adegeest had emerged as the strongest riders from the day's main break and built an advantage of more than six minutes over the peloton. With 40 kilometres remaining, the pair still held more than four minutes as the chase began to intensify behind. The gap then fell rapidly, but Squiban and Adegeest remained clear through the Colomars climb and entered the final 15 kilometres still ahead of the favourites.
Squiban crashed on the following descent. She was able to remount, but the pain in her upper body was immediately apparent and she struggled to keep both hands securely on the handlebars.
Adegeest continued alone at the front, while Squiban was unable to return to the break. The Dutchwoman was later caught as FDJ United-SUEZ drove the reduced favourites' group into the final climbs, setting up Demi Vollering's eventual stage victory and yellow-jersey takeover. Squiban continued to the finish despite the crash before being transferred to hospital for further checks.
Decision still to come on final stage
UAE Team L'IMAD will assess Squiban again before deciding whether she can start Sunday's ninth and final stage around Nice. “Tomorrow, the team’s medical staff will assess Maeva’s condition and will make a decision on whether she will take the start of the final stage in Nice,” the team confirmed.
Sunday's stage covers 99.2 kilometres around Nice. Squiban's bruising and superficial wounds will be reassessed before the team decides whether she is fit enough to line up.
Her Stage 8 breakaway had lasted deep into the finale before the crash ended any chance of contesting the victory with Adegeest. Hospital examinations have at least ruled out the fractures or serious injuries that initially appeared possible when Squiban remounted in obvious pain, with her participation in the final stage now dependent on Sunday's medical assessment.
Kieran WoodDeputy Editor-in-Chief
Kieran Wood is a sports journalist based in Wales and has been active in journalism since 2022. He regularly contributes to DartsNews.com and CyclingUpToDate.com, where he covers professional cycling and darts. In cycling, his work includes liveblogs from major races, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España, alongside race reports and analysis. He has also conducted interviews with professional riders.
His reporting spans the full racing calendar, from one-day classics to stage races, with a focus on accurate, real-time coverage and clear contextual analysis. For statistics, results, and historical context, he regularly uses resources such as ProCyclingStats. To support reporting on rider activity and training context where relevant, he also references Strava.
In his work, Kieran places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles as new, verified information becomes available.
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