Marianne Vos abandons Vuelta Femenina after breaking her collarbone in a stage 1 crash

Marianne Vos, the celebrated Dutch cyclist and record stage winner at the Vuelta Femenina, has been forced to withdraw from the 2026 edition of the race after sustaining a broken collarbone in a crash during the opening stage. The incident occurred late in the stage on a wet section of road, where Vos veered into a ditch. Despite the injury, the 38-year-old managed to finish seventh on the uphill finish to Salvaterra de Miño before medical assessments confirmed the severity of her injury, ruling her out of the race. Vos had been targeting a seventh stage win at Spain’s premier women’s Grand Tour, having previously secured six stage victories across the race’s four editions since its format change in 2023. Her punchy riding style suited the uphill finish, and she had shown strong form in recent seasons, including three stage wins in the inaugural year and further successes in 2024 and last season. The crash dashed hopes of adding to her impressive tally, particularly as the upcoming stages appeared well-suited to her strengths. The Visma-Lease a Bike team announced Vos’s withdrawal on social media, expressing their wishes for a swift recovery. This setback comes amid a challenging year for Vos, who has faced personal difficulties following the death of her father, an event that led her to pull out of the Tour of Flanders. She also narrowly missed victory at Paris-Roubaix recently, finishing second despite her team’s tactical advantage. The Vuelta Femenina continues with stage two, a 109.8km route from Lobios to San Cibrao das Viñas, where the race remains wide open after the early drama. Vos’s absence will be keenly felt, but the competition promises to deliver further excitement as riders vie for stage wins and overall honours in this prestigious event.