A hard blow for Elisa Longo Borghini and for all cycling fans: the Italian champion was forced to abandon the 2025 Tour of Flanders following a serious fall in the initial stages of the race.

The incident occurred as the peloton approached the first cobbled section of the 168.8km race. Despite an initial attempt to rejoin the race, the UAE Team ADQ rider had to abandon the race after showing signs of confusion following the heavy impact to her head.

She was immediately taken to Oudenaarde hospital, where diagnostic tests confirmed a serious concussion.

As a precaution, the athlete was transferred to the University Hospital of Ghent where she will remain under observation in the neurology department for at least 24 hours. At the moment, fortunately, no signs of internal bleeding have been detected.

This is a serious blow for the two-time winner of Flanders, who was among the favourites after her recent solo success at Dwars door Vlaanderen. Her participation in the upcoming Ardennes Classics, her first seasonal goal set for 2025, is now in serious doubt.

For fantasy cycling fans, this injury is a major blow: Longo Borghini was in fact one of the most highly rated athletes for the spring classics period. Team UAE has assured that it will provide further updates on the athlete's conditions in the coming hours.

Sprint Cycling Photo