It’s been a helluva year for Jonas Vingegaard (Hansen). The two-time Tour de France champion came out swinging in the spring, showing that he was ready to defend his crown in July.
In February, the 27-year-old dominated at the Gran Camiño – The Historical Route. He won the overall classification, the mountains classification, as well as three out of four stages.
In March, he took the general classification at Tirreno-Adriatico, along with the mountains competition. He also won two out of the seven stages.
By April, he was aiming for another win at the Itzulia Basque Country. He took fifth in the opening time trial—but disaster struck on Stage 4.
The crash in Spain
He was involved in a brutal crash, along with Primož Roglič and Remco Evenepoel, but his injuries were the most severe. “I was in a lot of pain—not just in my ribs but internally. I could feel it was from my lung, and when I coughed up blood, I knew it was serious. I was taken to the hospital, where they first checked my collapsed lung,” he said. “They put in a drain that evening, which remained in place for eight days. Additionally, I had several broken bones.”
Jonas Vingegaard is now a Hansen and I for one, very much approve
After spending 12 days in the hospital, Vingegaard embarked on a lengthy recovery, which involved intensive rehabilitation and a gradual return to training.
Whether he would compete in the Tour de France remained uncertain until just a week before the race. Despite missing all the preparatory events, he delivered a remarkable performance, finishing second overall behind Tadej Pogačar. He also clinched victory in Stage 11, marking an especially emotional day for him.
An incredible recovery
“It’s of course very emotional for me. Coming back from the crash,” he said after the race, teary-eyed. “All the things I went through in the last three months. This means a lot.”
Many were wondering if he would race the Vuelta a España, but it sounds like there will be an addition to the Vingegaard-Hansen clan, which is taking priority. Thus, the Dane is ending his season and won’t race until 2025.
“Jonas is done for the year. His wife is giving birth to their second child soon, and as an athlete, he needs to recuperate after this intense spring and summer,” a Visma – Lease a Bike rep told Velo.
For Vingegaard, the year was full of ups and downs, but he’s grateful that he was able to recover. “It’s great to bounce back this way after…
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