'I don't remember this on the recon' – Wrong turn derails group of favourites at women's Strade Bianche

Confusion reigned among riders in the Piazza del Campo at the finish of the women's Strade Bianche. There were few complaints over a dominant team performance by FDJ United-SUEZ, who won the race through Elise Chabbey and finished third through Franziska Koch, but a significant group was missing.

With around 33km to go on Saturday, a chase group containing Demi Vollering (FDJ United-SUEZ), Pauline Ferrand-Prévot (Visma-Lease a Bike) and Lotte Kopecky (SD Worx-Protime) went off course.

The group appeared to follow a motorbike which turned right onto a gravel track between two vineyards, instead of following the road round to the left. The mistake meant it was game over for all those who made it. As they turned around, a few hundreds metres downhill, and trudged back to the course, their gap to the race leaders trebled, from one minute to around three.

The time loss compounded earlier mechanicals for Vollering and Ferrand-Prévot, who already victims of misfortune on Le Tolfe around 10km before.

“Apparently we took the wrong road, so there was nothing more I could say,” Ferrand-Prévot said post-race.

Asked how the wrong turn happed, the Tour de France Femmes avec Zwift champion replied: “I have no idea... I saw a moto and people going right and then we stopped 200m after. I turned back, and we were far away already. I didn’t know if the front group also turned the wrong way. I still don’t really know, so I’m looking forward to going to the bus and hear what happened.”

Vollering, the defending champion who ended up placing 20th, showed no signs of despair at the finish. Instead, she beamed with joy for her team-mate, Chabbey, the race winner. “I’m so proud of [the team], we did such a perfect race,” Vollering said.

“I had a flat tyre at the worst moment ever, and I was like I can still come back, never give up, keep pushing. They sent us the wrong way and in that moment we knew we’d never come back. All the cars passed and we were in the last of the race. Then it was over.

“Pity for me," she shrugged, "but I was so excited to hear it on the radio. I tried to sometimes tell them something, but it wasn’t necessary because they did amazing.”

Also in the group were Kim Le Court-Pienaar and Letizia Borghesi (AG Insurance-Soudal), Anna van der Breggen and Nienke Vinke (SD Worx-Protime), Mavi García, Silvia Persico and Paula Blasi (UAE Team ADQ), Lucinda Brand (Lidl-Trek), Millie Couzens (Fenix-Premier Tech), and Femke De Vries (Visma-Lease a Bike).

“I don’t really know what happened,” said Couzens, the British champion, who placed 34th. “The motorbike went right and we all just followed the bikes in front, and I was like, 'I don’t remember this on the recon', and everyone started shouting... That was quite bad, actually.

“After that, I knew we’d never come back to the front, so it was just survival. I try to enjoy moments, especially after I was dropped, I tried to take it all in. I tried to appreciate it as much as I could.”

Members of the group that went off-course finished more than six minutes behind Chabbey.