Marianne Vos abandons 2026 La Vuelta Femenina after suffering a fractured collarbone in a crash

Stage 1 of La Vuelta Femenina 2026 delivered one of the most striking images of the race start. Marianne Vos, one of the top sprint favourites, managed to finish seventh despite a crash that, hours later, was confirmed as a broken collarbone.

The Dutch rider hit the deck with around nine kilometers to go, at a key point of the day. The incident seemed to rule her out of the finale, but the team reacted immediately.

With support from several Team Visma | Lease a Bike teammates, Vos fought back to the bunch in the closing kilometers. In a remarkable effort, she positioned herself for the final sprint and crossed the line in seventh place, an unexpected result given the circumstances.

After the stage, the rider initially downplayed the crash: “I’m fine,” she told Eurosport. “I ended up in the ditch. We have to assess the severity.”

However, subsequent medical tests confirmed a more serious diagnosis. The team announced that the rider had suffered a fractured collarbone, an injury that will prevent her from continuing in the race.

The immediate consequence is her absence from Stage 2, bringing her campaign at this edition to a premature end. It also reduces the support for Pauline Ferrand-Prévot, potentially the woman to beat this week in Spain.

Vos’s withdrawal is a significant setback for the shape of the race. The Dutchwoman started as one of the leading contenders for the bunch finishes, thanks to her experience and sprinting prowess.

Her performance on the opening stage, despite the injury, reinforces her reputation as one of the most competitive riders in the international peloton, able to overcome adversity even under maximum pressure.

The Spanish race will reach its key days during the upcoming weekend, with the riders having summit finishes at the brutally steep climbs to Les Praeres and the Alto de l'Angliru, where the overall classification will be decided.