Spring Racing Upset: Cecilie Uttrup Ludwig Forced Out with Fractured Sacrum
After just one week of spring racing, the women’s peloton has lost one of their marquee names to injury, with no timetable for her return.
FDJ-Suez rider Cecilie Uttrup Ludwig was forced to abandon last weekend’s Omloop Het Nieuwsblad after she crashed heading into the Holleweg cobbles, the race’s first sector.
On Wednesday, her team announced that the 28-year-old Danish racer suffered a fractured sacrum—a bone that lies between the bottom of the spine and the tailbone—in the wreck.
In a statement released by the team, FDJ-Suez said, “The medical examinations carried out revealed a fracture of the sacrum, leading to a period of unavailability for the athlete, the duration of which remains undetermined to date.
“FDJ-Suez’s sole priority is Cecilie’s well-being and complete recovery. The team is mobilized to provide Cecilie with the best possible support, and is working on a personalized care and recovery program to promote optimal recovery and a return to competition in the best possible conditions.”
Uttrup Ludwig was off to a strong start this season, winning a stage of the Tour Down Under, while finishing ninth overall and second in both the points and mountains classifications.
After a strong 2023, which saw her finishing fourth in the Tour Fémenin International des Pyrénées, sixth in the Giro, seventh in the Tour de France, and third in the Glasgow Worlds, many anticipated 2024 to be a breakout year for Uttrup Ludwig.
Her spring slate was full, with every classic on her schedule save Paris-Roubaix. This weekend, she was very much expected to fight for a win at Strade Bianche, where she finished third last year.
In an interview with Global Cycling Network earlier this year, Uttrup Ludwig explicitly stated that her goal for 2024 was to win more races.
“I’m always there, but just grabbing that win is something different from being top five or top 10,” she said. “It’s the wins that everyone wants.”
According to the National Institutes of Health, it can take as long as eight to twelve weeks to heal, though it’s impossible to say without knowing the magnitude of Uttrup Ludwig’s injury.
FDJ-Suez’s statement continued, “Although Cecilie’s convalescence duration cannot be precisely determined at this stage, we are completely confident in her ability to overcome this ordeal. Cecilie has always shown extraordinary determination, a quality which, without a doubt, will benefit her in preparing for her return to competition. We can’t wait to see her come back stronger and continue to inspire so many people around the world with her passion and energy, on and off the bike.”
That energy was on display in a video Uttrup Ludwig posted to her Twitter accounton Thursday, displaying some of her trademark humor in the wake of this unexpecting sidelining.
The loss of Uttrup Ludwig is the second big hit for FDJ-Suez, who lost Marta Cavalli to an injury in early February. The Italian climber suffered a bone bruise to her pelvis during a training ride in Spain. No word has been given yet on the timetable for her return.
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