Jonas Vingegaard bullish about Tour de France chances: 'I have hope that I'm good enough for victory'
The Visma-Lease a Bike rider hasn't raced since his horror crash at April's Itzulia Basque Country
![Jonas Vingegaard](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/u95xtiWu255so2X6JGWUEa-415-80.png)
Jonas Vingegaard has declared himself fit to defend his Tour de France title, but is opting to downplay expectations following three months out injured.
The Visma-Lease a Bike rider crashed hard at April’s Itzulia Basque Country, breaking a collarbone and ribs as well as puncturing his lung. It was hit and miss whether or not he would make it to the Tour’s startline in Florence, but the Dane spent four weeks training at altitude in the French Alps and impressed selectors enough to guarantee his place.
UAE-Team Emirates’ Tadej Pogačar is the favourite to win the race’s yellow jersey, but Vingegaard has promised to give his arch-rival a run for his money, while at the same time insisting that just being at the race is “a victory in itself” and that “everything from here is just a bonus.”
“My ambitions are to go for the best possible result in the GC,” the 27-year-old said. “From here, if I get a result, I will be very happy.
“Of course, if I wouldn’t have progressed I wouldn’t be here [so] I am definitely here for victory. But of course things have changed in the last three months.
“I still have my hopes that I’m good enough to fight for the victory at least but I guess we will see in the coming three weeks. And as I said, everything is a bonus from now.”
Vingegaard’s team has consistently said that they wouldn’t select him for the race if they didn’t believe he was at 100% condition and didn’t have a chance of winning a third successive maillot jaune. The fact he will begin the race indicates that his form is good, despite not having raced since his crash, and his coach, TIm Heemskerk, has repeated that he has never seen an athlete recover as fast as Vingegaard.
In reflecting on his three months of recuperation, Vingegaard said that “every second day you think you make it, and every second day you think you don’t make it.”
Get The Leadout Newsletter
The latest race content, interviews, features, reviews and expert buying guides, direct to your inbox!
He added: “It's probably been the hardest moment of my career over the last few months but I think in that situation you just think about fighting back rather than feeling sorry for yourself and that's what me and my family have done for the last three months, trying everything we could to get ready for this race.
“The most difficult thing has been physically getting back to the same level. I had to take a long break [off the bike of three weeks] after my crash, and I had a lot of injuries that needed to heal before I was able to train properly.
“I did a lot of good work and I’m not in a bad shape. I just hope that all the good work we have done together will pay off.”
Vingegaard will be without key domestique Sepp Kuss in the race, with the American not having recovered from a recent Covid infection. “Sepp is a very, very valuable rider, so we will miss him a lot,” Vingegaard rued.
Thank you for reading 20 articles this month* Join now for unlimited access
Enjoy your first month for just £1 / $1 / €1
*Read 5 free articles per month without a subscription
Join now for unlimited access
Try first month for just £1 / $1 / €1
A freelance sports journalist and podcaster, you'll mostly find Chris's byline attached to news scoops, profile interviews and long reads across a variety of different publications. He has been writing regularly for Cycling Weekly since 2013. In 2024 he released a seven-part podcast documentary, Ghost in the Machine, about motor doping in cycling.
Previously a ski, hiking and cycling guide in the Canadian Rockies and Spanish Pyrenees, he almost certainly holds the record for the most number of interviews conducted from snowy mountains. He lives in Valencia, Spain.
-
Unreleased Van Rysel aero bike used for first time at Tour de France
New FCR frame from Decathlon in-house brand is sharper and more aggressive
By Tom Davidson Published
-
Wout van Aert to continue to 'chase opportunities' at Tour de France, provided Jonas Vingegaard is safe
'We want Wout to win a stage, but we have to look at it day by day', says Visma-Lease a Bike DS Frans Maassen
By Tom Thewlis Published
-
Wout van Aert to continue to 'chase opportunities' at Tour de France, provided Jonas Vingegaard is safe
'We want Wout to win a stage, but we have to look at it day by day', says Visma-Lease a Bike DS Frans Maassen
By Tom Thewlis Published
-
How one phone call from Wout van Aert led to the Belgian riding the Tour de France
Visma-Lease a Bike sporting director Merijn Zeeman reveals Van Aert said he wanted "to do something special"
By Tom Thewlis Published
-
Will Jonas Vingegaard ride for the win at the 2024 Tour de France?
The two-time defending champion will take part, but his form is unknown after his crash in the spring and his goals remain unclear
By Tom Thewlis Published
-
Jonas Vingegaard and Wout van Aert to ride Tour de France for Visma-Lease a Bike
The pair will lineup in Florence next Saturday after recovering from their respective injuries
By Adam Becket Published
-
A UAE Emirates Tour de France podium clean sweep is a real possibility
Adam Yates, Tadej Pogačar and João Almeida are all hitting form at the perfect time with the Florence Grand Départ fast approaching
By Tom Thewlis Published
-
Have Visma-Lease a Bike unofficially announced their Tour de France team with Jonas Vingegaard and Wout van Aert?
The reigning two-time champion has been part of team’s final altitude training camp in Tignes before Florence Grand Départ
By Tom Thewlis Published
-
'We're getting back on track' - Jonas Vingegaard's coach says Tour de France champion is 'recovering fast' after horror crash
'We know these guys are mentally really tough' Tim Heemskerk says 27-year-old is making rapid progress in his return to fitness after broken collarbone, fractured ribs and punctured lung
By Tom Thewlis Published
-
5 things we learned from the first week of the 2024 Giro d’Italia
The Italian Grand Tour is firmly underway and Tadej Pogačar is in the pink jersey. Here are our takeaways from the first week of action
By Tom Thewlis Published