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Team Cofidis revealed Monday that one of the riders who died at the Tour of Flanders gran fondo was its former racer Stéphane Krafft.
“It is with deep sadness that the Cofidis team learned of the death of one of its former riders, Stéphane Krafft, who wore the Cofidis colors in 2000 and 2001. We extend our sincere condolences to his family and loved ones,” the team wrote in a short social media post.
Krafft, 45, was one of two fatalities at the hugely popular Flanders fondo which took place Saturday before the pro Ronde.
A third rider was resuscitated in a dramatic day marked by multiple medical emergencies.
Reports from the aftermath of Saturday’s event state a Dutch rider died from heart failure on the Taaienberg in Maarkedal despite efforts by health officials.
Team Cofidis did not reveal the circumstances of Krafft’s death.
The Frenchman’s career spanned only two full seasons, both with Team Cofidis.
C’est avec une profonde tristesse que l’équipe Cofidis a appris le décès d’un de ses anciens coureurs, Stéphane Krafft, qui avait porté les couleurs Cofidis en 2000 et 2001.
Nous adressons à sa famille et à ses proches nos plus sincères condoléances pic.twitter.com/e31RtqWyPT
— Team Cofidis (@TeamCOFIDIS) April 7, 2025
Concussed Longo Borghini out of Paris-Roubaix, spring schedule in doubt
Former Paris-Roubaix Femmes champion Elisa Longo Borghini won’t start the “Hell of the North” on Saturday.
UAE Team ADQ confirmed Monday its centerpiece star will be sidelined at least one week after she was hospitalized following a heavy crash in her title defense at the Tour of Flanders.
The 33-year-old suffered a “significant concussion” in the fall Sunday, and so her recovery timelines are not yet clear.
The news could ripple through Longo Borghini’s spring campaign, which includes the so-called “Ardennes triple” of Amstel Gold, La Flèche Wallonne, and Liège-Bastogne-Liège.
Here’s the full statement from UAE Team ADQ:
“Positive news from the Ghent University Hospital, where Elisa Longo Borghini had been admitted and kept under observation since last night following the heavy crash she suffered during the Ronde van Vlaanderen.
“Elisa Longo Borghini was discharged from the hospital this afternoon. Her condition is stable, although the concussion she sustained will now require several days of rest and in a few days she will be able to return home, in Italy.
“Doctors have prescribed a week of complete rest. After seven days, she will be able to gradually resume training. Her progress will be closely monitored allowing for clearer assessments regarding her recovery timeline and return to racing.
“For now, we can only wish Elisa a peaceful recovery and thank everyone for the support and affection shown to our champion.”
Degenkolb out for two months with multiple fractures following Tour of Flanders crash
The men’s Paris-Roubaix will also be missing a former champion on Sunday.
Team Picnic PostNL confirmed Monday that 2015 Paris-Roubaix champion John Degenkolb will be out of racing for at least two months after he sustained a fractured collarbone, wrist, and elbow on Sunday at the Tour of Flanders.
“John hit the ground with quite a lot of force in the crash; and the in-race medical team immediately suspected a fractured collarbone,” said team medic Camiel Aldershof.
“John was transferred to the local race hospital where further checks and x-rays were conducted. Those then unfortunately confirmed that John indeed fractured his collarbone, alongside his wrist and elbow on the same side. He will undergo surgery on his wrist, before a period of recovery,”
German veteran Degenkolb was at the center of the mass crash that brought down Mathieu van der Poel and many more in Sunday’s Ronde.
The crash decimated the Picnic PostNL team, with its riders Degenkolb, Alex Edmondson, and Tim Naberman among the victims.
Naberman fractured his wrist in the fall, while Edmondson has a sprained ankle.
Team Picnic PosNL only finished Tour of Flanders with two riders after Enzo Leijnse and Timo Roosen also abandoned.
