Jonas Vingegaard Sustains Lung Damage in Tour of Basque Country Crash

Jonas Vingegaard, a two-time Tour de France champion, faced a harrowing ordeal during the Tour of the Basque Country race, as his team announced on Friday that the 27-year-old cyclist suffered lung damage in a massive crash.

Visma-Lease a Bike, Vingegaard’s team, provided an update on his condition, revealing that further examination at the hospital unveiled a pulmonary contusion and pneumothorax alongside his previously diagnosed injuries, including a broken collarbone and several broken ribs.

The Danish rider was transported to the hospital following the incident on Thursday during the fourth stage of the race in northern Spain, where medical professionals diagnosed his injuries.

Despite the severity of the crash, Vingegaard’s condition remains stable, and he had a restful night at the hospital, according to Visma. However, he continues to receive medical care and monitoring as he recuperates from his injuries.

The mass crash unfolded approximately 35 kilometres from the finish line, during the leg from Etxarri Aranatz to Legutio, involving numerous prominent cyclists. Among those affected were Remco Evenepoel, who sustained a broken collarbone, and Primoz Roglic, who withdrew from the race but fortunately escaped without any fractures.

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This unfortunate incident follows a string of recent accidents in professional cycling, including Wout van Aert’s similar injuries in a crash at the Tour of Flanders just last week.

Roglic, who experienced a fall in stage three on Wednesday but quickly bounced back, had been leading the overall standings with a seven-second advantage over Evenepoel at the outset of Thursday’s racing.

With several star riders now sidelined due to injuries, Mattias Skjelmose has emerged as the new leader in the general classification, holding a four-second lead over Juan Ayuso.

As the race progresses, attention shifts to Friday’s fifth and penultimate stage, which entails a challenging 175.9-kilometre journey north from Vitoria-Gasteiz to Amorebieta-Etxano.