British champion Pfeiffer Georgi fractures neck in Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift crash

British champion Pfeiffer Georgi fractured her neck in a high-speed crash on stage five of the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift on Thursday, but will not require surgery.

The dsm-firmenich PostNL rider came down in the same incident which saw defending champion Demi Vollering (SD Worx-Protime) hit the deck and lose time. While the latter was able to finish the stage, nursing wounds, Georgi was forced leave the race. Blanka Vas of SD Worx-Protime won the stage.

The 23-year-old had ridden every stage of the Tour de France Femmes' three editions up to this point, but having fractured bones in her neck and hand, will now spend time off the bike recovering.

"After her hard crash yesterday at the Tour de France Femmes, Pfeiffer went to hospital to thoroughly assess her injuries. The evaluations showed fractures of the neck that fortunately do not require surgery and a fracture in her right hand," Camiel Aldershof, dsm-firmenich Post NL's doctor, said in a team press release. 

"It was a heavy fall so we will continue to assess and monitor her as she returns home. It’s likely we’ll see her off the bike for at least the next four weeks, but we are in no rush and her health and recovery is paramount."

"We are very sad to lose Pfeiffer due to yesterday’s hard crash," Albert Timmer, dsm directeur sportif, added. "She is not only important during the race as our road captain but also off the bike she brings a lot to the group, so this is a big loss for us as a team. She will take the rest needed now to heal up and we are confident that she will fight back and come back stronger than before."

Up to this point, Georgi had been having a sparkling season, finishing on the podium of Craywinckelhof, Paris-Roubaix Femmes avec Zwift, and the Baloise Ladies Tour. She retained her British national road race title in June, and was an active part of the Olympic Games road race, where she eventually finished fifth behind Kristen Faulkner of the US.

She had also been a key part of the dsm-firmenich PostNL leadout train which delivered Charlotte Kool to wins on stages one and two of this year's Tour de France Femmes.

Magdeleine Vallieres (EF-Oatly-Cannondale) was also forced out of the race by the crash, after suffering concussion.

Vollering, meanwhile, looks set to continue at the Tour, despite suffering from road rash on Thursday afternoon. Her team posted an update on social media, which confirmed she hadn't broken bones.

"Demi Vollering was examined at the hotel by the Team SD Worx-Protime team doctor after her fall in the fifth stage of the Tour de France Femmes. She suffered minor bruising and superficial abrasions to her lower back and buttock," the post said. 

"The focus of treatment is to recover. It looks positive that Vollering will be able to continue the Tour on Friday."