Female cyclist Elisa Longo Borghini withdraws from the Tour de France Femmes

The Tour de France Femmes is set to continue on Monday with a 163.5km stage to Angers, expected to finish in a sprint. However, one of the favourites for the race, Elisa Longo Borghini, will not be participating due to a gastrointestinal infection.

Longo Borghini, an Italian champion, had to withdraw from the race after losing nearly three minutes in two days of racing. This marks the second consecutive year that Longo Borghini is withdrawing from the Tour de France Femmes, as she had to withdraw right before the start in 2024 due to a crash in training.

In a statement on social media, Longo Borghini confirmed her withdrawal and expressed her disappointment. She stated that she will take time to rest and recover before focusing on the next goals of the season, which are likely to include the World Championships road race in Kigali, Rwanda.

With Longo Borghini out of the race, UAE Team ADQ will now look to Maeva Squiban, who has already shown strong performance this year with multiple stage victories, to maximise their chances for success in the remaining seven days of the Tour de France Femmes. The team will also look to Karlijn Swinkels, Eleonora Gasparrini, and Lara Gillespie for stage-winning opportunities.

The Tour de France Femmes has already seen eight riders withdraw after just two stages, including Marlen Reusser (Movistar) and Charlotte Kool (Picnic PostNL). Four riders were also ejected from the race during the second stage for finishing outside the time cut.

Despite the challenges, the Tour de France Femmes has been a historic event, marking the first time in 31 years that the Tour de France has featured a women's race. The race is set to finish on Sunday, 24th July, in Paris.