Nature Valley women’s crash: injury updates
- By Brian Holcombe
- Published Jun. 19, 2011
According to race organizers, all four of the riders evacuated from the race-ending crash in stage 4 of the Nature Valley Grand Prix were discharged from an area hospital. None of the women started Saturday’s Menomonie Road Race.
Shelley Olds gets her number pinned before the race, and her unfortunate crash. Casey B. Gibson photo
Shelley Olds (Diadora-Pasta Zara), the defending Nature Valley champion was nursing extremely painful rib injuries Saturday. It is unclear how the injury will impact her ability to defend the U.S. criterium title next weekend in Augusta, Georgia.
Laura Ralston (Kowalski’s Collegiate All-Stars) suffered facial lacerations and a broken collarbone. Her composite teammate Robin Bauer suffered a separated shoulder, while Hillary Billington (Danbury Audi) escaped with “bumps and bruises.”
The crash in the final corner before the bell lap on Friday night in the Uptown Minneapolis Criterium forced officials to neutralize and later cancel the stage. Many observers called the crash one of the worst they’d seen. Kristin Armstrong (Peanut Butter & Co.-Twenty12), who wore the race leader’s jersey at the time, was among the riders to crash, but escaped without serious injury.
FILED UNDER: News / Road TAGS: Nature Valley Grand Prix
Brian Holcombe
Brian Holcombe is the editor of VeloNews.com. Holcombe joined VeloNews in 2009 following years spent introducing students to whitewater kayaking and working in avalanche control, among other more risky ventures. His graduate work in communications at the University of Denver focuses on innovation and digital media management. Holcombe is a CSU Ram fan and proud parent and has been accused of attacking too much on the VN lunch ride. Follow him on Twitter @FCBrian.