Jonas Vingegaard Forced to Abandon Tour de France After Brutal Crash

Jonas Vingegaard, the two-time Tour de France winner, was forced to abandon the 2024 Tour after a brutal crash on Stage 15.

What happened?

On Sunday, Vingegaard crashed out of the race during Stage 15, going down with teammate Sepp Kuss on the descent of the penultimate climb. The main group briefly eased up to see if the Dane could rejoin, but once it became clear he was unable to continue, the race carried on.

Why it matters for Jonas Vingegaard

Vingegaard's wheel slipped out and he went down with teammate Sepp Kuss. Race leader Tadej Pogačar barely avoided the crash. The multiple grand tour winner has never before abandoned a Grand Tour, and this setback will undoubtedly be a significant blow to his chances of winning the 2024 Tour.

What comes next?

Visma-Lease a Bike gave a medical update after the race, stating that Vingegaard suffered a broken collarbone and multiple abrasions. Because of the severity of the fracture, he will undergo surgery in the coming days. "It is devastating that Jonas has had to leave the Tour de France," said Marc Reef, directeur sportif of Visma-Lease a Bike. "It was quickly clear that Jonas could not continue. He was in a lot of pain. We are deeply with him."

Before the crash, Vingegaard sat second overall, four and a half minutes behind Tadej Pogačar. Visma believed the stage suited the Dane, with Bruno Armirail and Victor Campenaerts making the early break before dropping back to help set the pace for the GC group on the final climbs. "The entire stage went according to plan," Reef said. "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."

Meanwhile, yellow jersey, rival and friend, Pogacar wondered if a lack of sleep could have contributed to the bad luck. "I was thinking: today we had doping control early in the morning, in Jonas' case at 2 a.m. That may also be a reason. After a night where your sleep is ruined, you may be less focused on the descent. That may be linked in a way, I don't know."

Monday is a rest day, and the Tour continues without Vingegaard on Tuesday with an ITT-and Stage 15 winner, Remco Evenepoel as a strong favourite.

The Tour de France will continue without Vingegaard, who will undergo surgery in the coming days to repair his broken collarbone.

category: match_report