Will the cycling star manage the tour?
Vingegaard leaves clinic after horror fall
April 16, 2024, 8:00 p.m
Danish cycling star Jonas Vingegaard has been in hospital for twelve days. He was seriously injured in a serious fall at the beginning of the month. It is still unclear whether he can defend the tour for the third time in a row. Meanwhile, a German professional is calling for new measures.
Danish cycling star Jonas Vingegaard has been released from hospital in Spain twelve days after his serious fall during the Tour of the Basque Country. “I have received so much moral support in the past few days,” Vingegaard wrote on social media: “Now it is time to fully recover.”
There is no official timetable for a return to racing. The 27-year-old’s season planning originally called for a start at the Criterium du Dauphine (June 2nd to 9th) and then winning the Tour de France (June 29th to July 21st) for the third time in a row. Given the severity of Vingegaard’s injuries and the lengthy break from training, this plan is at least at risk.
Vingegaard suffered a broken collarbone and several broken ribs in the terrible mass fall on the fourth stage of the Tour of the Basque Country on April 4th. The Dane also suffered a bruised lung and a pneumothorax. Like Primož Roglič, Remco Evenepoel and five other drivers, he came off the road in a right-hand bend around 35 kilometers from the finish. Vingegaard rushed into a concrete ditch at high speed. Roglic (bruises and abrasions) and Evenepoel (broken collarbone) were more easily injured than Vingegaard and have a better chance of competing in the Tour de France in top form.
Degenkolb advocates a round table
Most recently, the German professional cyclist John Degenkolb called for appropriate measures for the future after the recent series of falls. “You should definitely talk about this topic and think about whether you can change things. The races are becoming faster, closer and more aggressive,” said the 35-year-old.
Degenkolb therefore suggested a kind of round table. “The world association, the race organizers, the teams and the drivers should get together and draw up statutes to make the races safer for the future,” said the 35-year-old. However, he is skeptical about the recently discussed introduction of yellow and red cards in cycling. Unlike in football, “everything happens so quickly,” he said.
He sees another reason for the many falls in the increasing number of newcomers to professional cycling, many of whom, in his opinion, do not have the technical requirements. “It’s a complex sport. Many people have the physical performance, but not the skill to react correctly on the bike in extreme situations. You only learn that if you’ve been cycling since childhood,” said Degenkolb.