Another Jonas Vingegaard update after surgery: Recovery time still unclear

Jonas Vingegaard’s Visma-Lease a Bike team has given a health update after his brutal crash at the Tour of the Basque Country race.

After the crash, the Danish was admitted to the hospital, where he was diagnosed with fractures in his ribs and collarbone, along with lung damage. Vingegaard, 27, took victories in the Tour de France in both 2022 and 2023. He is aiming for a third consecutive win this summer, but the severity of the crash casts doubt on his participation.

“Jonas had a successful operation on his collarbone,” the post read. “He will now spend the next few weeks recovering. It is not yet clear how long this will take. He is doing well and expresses his gratitude to everyone for their kind words over the past few days.”

Update on Jonas Vingegaard:

Jonas had a successful operation on his collarbone.

He will now spend the next few weeks recovering. It is not yet clear how long this will take.

He is doing well and expresses his gratitude to everyone for their kind words over the past few…

— Team Visma | Lease a Bike (@vismaleaseabike) April 9, 2024

Remco also on the mend

Belgian Remco Evenepoel suffered a collarbone fracture in the stage four crash of the northern Spain race. Meanwhile, race leader Primoz Roglic also fell, along with several other riders, but fortunately, the Slovenian did not sustain any fractures. Visma’s another prominent rider, Wout van Aert, endured a collarbone fracture and multiple rib injuries in a high-speed pile-up during the Dwars door Vlaanderen one-day race in. Although It is unclear how long his recovery will take. Visma – LAB confirmed he was forced to skip Paris-Roubaix and the Amstel Gold Race.

After the series of crashes, Richard Plugge, of Visma – Lease a Bike, told AFP the urgent need for cycling to implement measures ensuring rider safety.

“Let’s go, let’s start. It will not be solved in a week,” he said. “It will take time, so the earlier we start the better it is.”

A damper to a solid spring for Jonas Vingegaard

The 27-year-old’s setback follows a successful spring campaign. He clinched the overall victory at Tirreno-Adriatico. He also took two stage wins and securing the mountains jersey. Additionally, Vingegaard showcased his dominance in the O Gran Camiño. He won three stages and securing both the mountains and points competitions.|

Fans eagerly anticipated the showdown between Vingegaard and Pogačar at the 2024 Tour de France. However, in 2023, Pogačar’s wrist injury during Liège-Bastogne-Liège significantly disrupted his preparation for the race. He had to take several weeks off from riding and missed out on his usual preparation races, impacting his peak form.

Despite initially appearing to be a formidable opponent for Vingegaard, Pogačar faced a dramatic setback on Stage 17, losing crucial time. Ultimately, he finished second overall, leaving many to speculate on the outcome had he been able to train and race without hindrance prior to the Tour de France.

Although July is a ways off, the preparation for the Tour, including both training and lead-ups, are around the corner. So despite there being ample time to recover, the crunch is on for Vingegaard to heal up fast enough to get back on the bike.