The 2024 Tour de France has suffered a stunning upset ahead of its closing stretch, as two-time defending champion Jonas Vingegaard was forced to abandon the race following a high-profile crash with just 20 kilometers remaining in Sunday’s grueling 15th stage, held at France’s Plateau de Solaizon.
Vingegaard, riding for the Visma–Lease a Bike squad, entered the mountainous 15th stage sitting just behind UAE Team Emirates leader Tadej Pogacar in the general classification, setting up a tense showdown on the stage’s challenging finishing climb. The incident occurred when Vingegaard and a small group of other riders fell close to a roadside curb in the final kilometers of the route.
After the crash, the 29-year-old Danish rider was able to move under his own power but visibly limped to waiting medical staff, leaving the course with his right arm stabilized in a sling before being taken away in an ambulance.
A generational talent in professional road cycling, Vingegaard cemented his legacy as one of the sport’s great all-rounders by claiming back-to-back Tour de France titles in 2022 and 2023. He is also one of only eight male riders in the history of professional cycling to have secured overall victory at all three of the sport’s Grand Tour events: the Tour de France, Giro d’Italia, and Vuelta a España.
His early exit reshapes the dynamic of the 2024 Tour, clearing a major path for Pogacar to secure a fourth overall title, and leaves millions of cycling fans shocked by the abrupt end to Vingegaard’s bid for a third consecutive yellow jersey.