Jonas Vingegaard’s Tour de France Halted by Crash and Injury

Jonas Vingegaard is set to undergo surgery following a fracture to his collarbone, abruptly ending his Tour de France campaign during Sunday’s 15th stage. The defending Tour champion from 2022 and 2023 was part of a group of riders who crashed near a kerb, about 12 miles from the stage’s finish. Vingegaard was swiftly taken to an ambulance, his right arm supported by a sling.

His team, Visma–Lease a Bike, released a statement indicating the severity of the injury: “Jonas sustained a fractured collarbone and multiple abrasions.” The team announced that surgery will take place in the coming days and expressed their support for his recovery.

At the time of the crash, Vingegaard held second place overall, trailing behind Tadej Pogacar, the defending champion. The crash occurred just before a significant climb in the stage. Marc Reef, the team’s sporting director, remarked, “It is devastating that Jonas has had to leave the Tour de France. It was quickly clear that Jonas could not continue. He was in a lot of pain.”

The 29-year-old Danish cyclist is among a select group of eight male riders who have achieved victories in all three Grand Tours. Pogacar, the four-time Tour champion, expressed his regret, saying, “Without him the Tour will not be the same.”

“I’m truly saddened by Jonas’s exit,” notes Pogacar.

Additional riders involved in the incident included Vingegaard’s teammate, Sepp Kuss, and Pogacar’s UAE Emirates XRG teammate, Isaac Del Toro, both of whom managed to continue racing. Pogacar’s group initially slowed down upon hearing of the crash, likely uncertain about Vingegaard’s situation, before resuming normal pace once his withdrawal was confirmed.

Before his exit, Vingegaard appeared set for a strong performance during the final climb of the 11-kilometer Plateau de Solaison in the French Alps. Reef mentioned, “We had two riders in the breakaway and controlled the peloton. Jonas felt extremely good and we wanted to go for the victory today. Unfortunately, cycling can be very cruel at times.”

Isaac Del Toro secured third place for the stage, following Tadej Pogacar and stage winner Remco Evenepoel. Following the day’s results, Evenepoel ascended to second place overall behind Pogacar, who holds a five-minute advantage, while Del Toro trails by 5:58.

Pogacar also revealed that he and Vingegaard were subject to unannounced anti-doping tests on Sunday morning. Pogacar’s test occurred at 5 a.m., with Vingegaard’s conducted at 2 a.m.