Jonas Vingegaard’s Tour de France Ends with Crash and Upcoming Surgery

Jonas Vingegaard, the Tour de France champion in 2022 and 2023, experienced a sudden end to his Tour due to a crash near the conclusion of Sunday’s 15th stage. The incident occurred approximately 20 kilometers from the finish line, involving several riders.

Vingegaard was forced to leave the race after suffering a fractured collarbone and multiple abrasions. He was seen with his right arm in a sling before being taken to an ambulance. His team, Visma–Lease a Bike, confirmed the need for surgery in a statement, emphasizing the serious nature of the collarbone injury.

“Due to the severity of the collarbone fracture, surgical intervention has been recommended and will be performed in the coming days. Join us in wishing Jonas a smooth recovery,” the team stated.

Before the crash, Vingegaard was in second place overall, trailing behind Tadej Pogacar, the defending champion. The 15th stage concluded with a challenging climb. Marc Reef, the team’s sporting director, expressed disappointment over Vingegaard’s withdrawal, acknowledging his significant pain.

Vingegaard, a 29-year-old Danish cyclist, recently joined the elite group of eight male riders who have won all three Grand Tours. Tadej Pogacar, a four-time Tour champion, expressed his sentiments over Vingegaard’s exit, acknowledging the impact on the race.

Vingegaard’s teammate Sepp Kuss and Pogacar’s teammate Isaac Del Toro also fell during the crash but managed to continue. The yellow jersey group, led by Pogacar, temporarily slowed down following the news of Vingegaard’s crash but resumed racing once it was evident Vingegaard could not continue.

Before the incident, Vingegaard seemed ready to make a decisive move during the 11-kilometer final ascent of Plateau de Solaison in the French Alps. According to Marc Reef, Vingegaard felt strong and confident in securing victory that day.

Remco Evenepoel emerged as the stage winner, with Del Toro finishing third. Evenepoel is now second in the overall standings, trailing Pogacar by five minutes, while Del Toro is in third place, 5 minutes and 58 seconds behind.

After the stage, Pogacar shared that he and Vingegaard underwent early-morning anti-doping tests conducted by officials without prior notice. Pogacar’s test took place at 5 a.m., while Vingegaard’s was at 2 a.m.