Elisa Longo Borghini: UAE ADQ star withdraws from 2025 Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift due to illness
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Updated 29/07/2025 at 15:32 GMT+1
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The 2025 Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift has lost one of its favourites for the race after UAE ADQ confirmed that Elisa Longo Borghini will not start Stage 3 due to a gastrointestinal infection. The reigning Giro d'Italia champion's condition worsened following Stage 2, so she will take no further part in this year's race.
Stage 2 highlights: Garcia makes history with stunning win, Le Court grabs yellow
Video credit: TNT Sports
Elisa Longo Borghini is out of the 2025 Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift with illness, UAE ADQ have confirmed.
Longo Borghini was one of the Tour favourites and managed to complete the first two stages, despite experiencing symptoms and losing three minutes in two days.
The Italian was 39th in the general classification after the second stage, but was forced to bow out due to a gastrointestinal infection prior to Stage 3, which will see the peloton ride 163.3 kilometres from La Gacilly to Angers.
"After her remarkable victory at the Giro d’Italia Women, Elisa Longo Borghini has unfortunately been forced to end her journey at the Tour de France Femmes," a statement from UAE ADQ said.
"Since the opening stage on Saturday, Elisa began experiencing symptoms and made every effort to push through the first two stages, despite feeling extremely weak.
"However, her condition has worsened in the last hours and, in agreement with the team’s medical staff, the difficult decision has been made for her to withdraw from the race."
Longo Borghini added: "After my victory at the Giro d’Italia Women, I was feeling really good and arrived at the Tour determined to achieve something important here as well. Unfortunately, I suddenly began experiencing symptoms of this virus, which has drained my energy more and more each day.
"I’m truly devastated and disappointed to have to abandon the Tour de France Femmes prematurely once again, but right now this was the best decision to make."
She came into this year's Tour having won the Giro d'Italia for the second year running and positioned herself as one of the favourites, alongside the likes of Demi Vollering, Marlen Reusser, and Kasia Niewiadoma-Phinney.
Her withdrawal follows Reusser's own abandonment of the Tour on the first stage after she suffered a stomach illness.
It means that two of the favourites have now dropped out of the race, and she is also the eighth rider to leave the Tour after just two stages.
- Mavi Garcia, 41, lands stunning solo win on Stage 2 at Tour de France Femmes as Mauritius' Kimberley Le Court grabs yellow
- Charlotte Kool withdraws from Tour de France Femmes after challenging opening stage following Baloise Ladies Tour crash
Charlotte Kool followed Reusser's high-profile withdrawal, and four other riders were ejected for finishing outside the time limit.
"The Italian champion will now take some time to rest and recover, before shifting her focus to the key goals in the final part of the season," her team added.
Longo Borghini made it clear she intended to hunt stages rather than target the general classification, with winning the Giro her main goal for the summer.
Those plans soon faded, however, as she was off the pace in vital moments of the opening two stages and unable to fight for results.
Her withdrawal leaves UAE ADQ with Brodie Chapman, Eleonora Gasparrini, Lara Gillespie, Maeva Squiban, Karlijn Swinkels, and Dominika Wlodarczyk.
Stream the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift live on TNT Sports and discovery+
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