PLATEAU DE SOLAISON, France (AP) — Jonas Vingegaard will undergo surgery on a fractured collarbone after his Tour de France ended abruptly with a crash near the end of Sunday's 15th stage.
The 2022 and ’23 Tour champion was among a few riders who fell close to a kerb some 20 kilometers (about 12 miles) from the end of the stage. After a few moments, Vingegaard's Tour was over as he limped into an ambulance with his right arm in a sling.
“Jonas sustained a fractured collarbone and multiple abrasions,” his Visma–Lease a Bike team said in a statement posted on X. “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.”
Vingegaard had been in second place overall behind defending champion Tadej Pogacar heading into Stage 15, which finished with a big climb.
“It is devastating that Jonas has had to leave the Tour de France,” the team’s sporting director Marc Reef said. “It was quickly clear that Jonas could not continue. He was in a lot of pain.”
The 29-year-old Danish rider this year became one of only eight male riders to have won all three Grand Tours.
“I’m really sad to see Jonas crash out,” the four-time Tour champion Pogacar said. “Without him the Tour will not be the same.”
Vingegaard's teammate Sepp Kuss and Pogacar’s UAE Emirates XRG teammate Isaac Del Toro also fell but were able to continue.
Pogacar's yellow jersey group slowed down after hearing news of the crash — perhaps unsure whether he would continue or not — but resumed racing normally after a few moments when it became clear Vingegaard was out.
Before crashing, Vingegaard looked poised to attack in the 11-kilometer final climb up Plateau de Solaison in the French Alps.
“We had two riders in the breakaway and controlled the peloton,” Reef said. “Jonas felt extremely good and we wanted to go for the victory today. Unfortunately, cycling can be very cruel at times.”
Del Toro finished the stage in third place behind Pogacar and stage winner Remco Evenepoel.
Evenepoel climbed to second in the standings, five minutes behind Pogacar, with Del Toro 5:58 back in third place.
Pogacar said after the stage that he and Vingegaard were woken up in the early hours of Sunday morning by officials carrying out unannounced anti-doping tests.
Pogacar said his test was carried out at 5 a.m. and that Vingegaard’s was at 2 a.m. ___
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The Associated Press
