MADRID, April 5 (Xinhua) -- Two-time Tour de France winner Jonas Vingegaard is in danger of missing this year's race and perhaps the Olympic Games after suffering serious injuries in a high-speed crash on Thursday in the Tour of the Basque Country (Itzulia) cycle race.
The winner of the 2022 and 2023 editions of the Tour hit the floor hard in the fall, and TV images showed him immobile and in agony after the impact.
Vingegaard's Visma-Lease a Bike team informed that the Danish rider had broken his collar bone and several ribs in the accident, which was caused by an uneven road surface on a corner during a high-speed descent, and which affected a dozen riders.
"It was a nasty crash, but fortunately he is stable and conscious. He remains in hospital as a precaution. Thank you for all your messages," informed Vingegaard's team.
Reigning world champion Remco Evenepoel's (Soudal Quick-Step) Tour is also in doubt after he broke his collar bone and scapula in the crash. His team confirmed he needed an operation.
Overnight race leader Primoz Roglic (Bora-Hansgrohe) also had to withdraw after being involved in the accident (his second bad fall in two days).
With the Tour de France starting early this year ahead of the Olympic Games in July, both riders will struggle to regain full fitness to be able to compete effectively.
The worst affected rider in the fall was Jay Vine (UAE Team Emirates), who suffered a fractured cervical vertebra and two fractures in his thoracic spine. Team Emirates confirmed he had not suffered any neurological damage.
Mattias Skjelmose, Lidl-Trek, is the overall leader of the race, which finishes on Sunday. ■
