The famous cycling race took a dark turn on Saturday afternoon during Stage 15. Two-time champion Jonas Vingegaard was forced to pull out of the Tour de France after a highly painful crash.
The 29-year-old Danish star was sitting in second place overall before the accident ended his race completely.
The fatal corner
The crash happened with about 21 kilometers left before the mountain finish at Plateau de Solaison. Vingegaard was the first rider to slide out on a corner on the approach to the climb.
He hit the round hard after hitting a curb, clutching his shoulder in visible pain. Soon after, he gingerly limped into a race ambulance with his right arm in a sling.
Disturbed night sleep
Interestingly, the crash followed a stressful night for Vingegaard, who was unexpectedly woken up by drug testing officials. Before the race began on Sunday morning, a frustrated Vingegaard spoke about the midnight interruption, explaining, “I was sleeping very well but somebody knocked on my door at 2am.”
The champion added, “It’s good that they test but when it’s affecting performance and your sleep, I don’t think it’s so good.”
The race moves on
Before falling, Vingegaard was trailing his chief rival Tadej Pogacar by four minutes and 30 seconds. With the champion gone, the remaining riders continued their fierce push up the Alps, where Remco Evenepoel ultimately won the dramatic stage.
