It happened just before the Koppenberg, the race already tightening, the road narrowing, the tension rising. Everyone was trying to get in the right position for the very tough climb. Then, suddenly, Kim Le Court-Pienaar was down, along with Swiss rider Marlen Reusser.
The Mauritian rider crashed hard in the decisive phase of the Tour of Flanders, her day ending on the side of the road before the race had truly hit its steepest point.
Not what you want to see 😢
Kim Le Court-Pienaar fractured her wrist, while Marlen Reusser suffered a lower back injury in this awful pile-up at Tour of Flanders ❌
Wishing all riders involved a speedy recovery 🙏#RVV26 | SBS On Demand 📺 pic.twitter.com/CxDZFCdb8V
— SBS Sport (@SBSSportau) April 6, 2026
A few hours later, the update came from AG Insurance – Soudal, and it wasn’t a great one: a fractured wrist, surgery required.
Operating soon
She’s been taken to a hospital in Herentals, where doctors are preparing to operate in the coming days. For now, it’s less about timelines and more about stabilizing things, making sure recovery starts the right way, the team said.
As for what comes next, that’s still to be figured out. The Classics don’t wait, but Le Court-Pienaar will have to.
LEAKED: Big changes for the national champion of Mauritius Kim Le Court. 🇲🇺
Her jersey sparked controversy, as many said it was too similar to the actual world champion’s jersey, even though it was just her flag.
I don’t know if UCI wanted the change or just AG Soudal and Kim… pic.twitter.com/ympm251EpM
— Lukáš Ronald Lukács (@lucasaganronald) December 17, 2025
Le Court-Pienaar is also Mauritian national champion and has a snazzy new jersey for 2026. The previous one was very similar to the rainbow design for the world champion, so the team opted for a new look with bold colours without the white.
Vollering takes first Flanders
As far as the women’s race, it was a day for Demi Vollering. The European champ waited, watched…and then went all in on the Oude Kwaremont, just like Tadej Pogačar had earlier in the men’s race.
Pauline Ferrand-Prévot tried to limit the damage, with Puck Pieterse bridging across, but the gap was already stretching.
From there, Vollering rode it in solo to take the dub. It’s her first Flanders win and adds to an ever-growing palmarès.