It’s gone from bad to brutal for Cat Ferguson.
The British star has been diagnosed with two fractures in her ankle following the crash she suffered on the opening stage of the Giro d’Italia Women earlier this month.
Initially, Ferguson (Movistar) underwent tests to assess a possible traumatic brain injury (TBI) and multiple contusions. After returning home, she showed signs of improvement over the following three weeks, but her recovery did not progress as expected.
Ankle fractures
Further medical examinations later revealed two fractures in her ankle.
The setback halts what had been a standout second season for the 20-year-old pro. In her second year as a pro, she’s already taken three big wins. victories in 2026. The Brit won the Trofeo Llucmajor, a stage of the Volta Femenina de la Comunitat Valenciana and the Navarra Women’s Elite Classic. Ferguson was snatched up by Movistar in 2024 when she rode as a stagiare–and also won both the junior road and time trial worlds. In 2025, she took three wins in her first full year as a pro. She’s quickly become one of the stars of the Women’s WorldTour.
2026 Tour de France Femmes now off the table
The British rider now faces several weeks of recovery to allow the fractures to heal properly. As a result, she will miss both the British national championships and the Tour de France Femmes. She joins another big name in cycling, Wout van Aert, in having her season derailed due to injury. Pro cycling, best laid plans, all that? Things don’t always go according to plan.
The Tour de France Femmes begins Aug. 1 and runs to Aug. 8. The Tour de France Fellas starts earlier. Stage 1, a TTT in Barcelona, is set for July 4. Both races will be broadcast on Flobikes.com and Canadian Cycling Magazine will have full reports and photos after each stage.