1984 Tour de France Feminin champion Marianne Martin, 66, is in a Colorado, USA hospital after crashing at high speed while riding in the Rocky Mountains outside of Boulder, her hometown, last week.

The accident occurred while the world’s first ever Tour de France Feminin Champion was descending Sunshine Canyon, a popular 5 mile climb averaging 5.5% gradient, when Martin apparently miss calculated her line on a turn, overcorrected and crashed violently at a high rate of speed. She suffered a collapsed lung, concussion, clavicle & collarbone fractures, a dozen broken ribs and extensive road rash.

A GoFundMe page has been set up to raise $30,000 USD to help with Martin’s lengthy recovery. Organizer Lindasue Smollen posted, “The long road to full recovery has just started for her, with your contribution she’ll have an easier time dealing with the many issues she faces. And I’m sure we’re all looking forward to Marianne being back on the bike and kicking ass.”

At press time over $11,000 has been raised from 95 GoFundMe donors.

At the 1984 Tour de France Feminin, Martin took the general classification leader’s yellow jersey on Stage 14, wearing it all the way into Paris four days later. She became the world’s first Tour de France Feminin Champion by 3 minutes 17 second and is the first American to win a three week long European stage race.

In 2020 Martin was inducted into the US Bicycling Hall of Fame

Photo Credit: vitusbikes.com

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