Crashes, illness, and unfinished business: Marlen Reusser’s shot at Giro redemption

If you want to understand the peaks and troughs of professional cycling, look no further than Marlen Reusser’s 2026 season so far.

The Movistar leader started well, with a runner-up finish in her first race of the year. Two weeks later, she was flipping over her handlebars at 60 km/h at the UAE Tour. While she somehow avoided major injury – and even managed to finish the stage – it would take almost two months for her to pin a number on again.

Her eventual return to racing, at Dwars door Vlaanderen in early April, couldn’t have gone much better. She forged the winning move late, then outsprinted former teammate Demi Vollering to take her first win of the …