Jonas Vingegaard opens up on whether nighttime anti-doping test contributed to race-ending crash at Tour de France
Published 20/07/2026 at 10:05 GMT+1
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Jonas Vingegaard said he "dare not speculate" about the consequences of his nighttime anti-doping test after a heavy crash on Stage 15 brought his Tour de France to a premature end, and left the two-time winner with a broken collarbone.
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The Visma-Lease a Bike star was the first of several riders to go down on a right-hand turn after exiting a mini-roundabout.
Vingegaard was helped into the race ambulance, gingerly holding his arm, and it was soon confirmed by his team that his race was over.
Before the stage, Vingegaard had complained about being woken up in the early hours of the morning for an anti-doping test.
Race leader Tadej Pogacar also had his sleep disrupted for the same reason, and he suggested tiredness might have contributed to Vingegaard's crash.
"It is clear that it has not done anything good for it," Vingegaard said in an interview with Danish channel TV2.
"Whether that is the reason, I dare not speculate. It may well have done something. I should not be able to say that.
"I don't want to blame it on that, because it's a bicycle race, and crashes happen in bicycle races. So I don't dare answer that."
The 29-year-old, who was second in the general classification at the time of the crash, attempted to remain positive.
”It's going surprisingly well," he said. "It's of course very disappointing for us to end up like this, and for the Tour to end like this. But that's how cycling is. Luckily, it's only a broken collarbone.
"Of course it's a huge shame. We're disappointed, and I just hope the boys can now focus next week and hopefully win a stage or two.
"I just talked to my family a little bit. That was the most important thing for me. We've come up with a plan for what's going to happen now, and I've talked to some of the team. It's no use hanging your head. It just makes it worse."
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Video credit: TNT Sports
Asked how the crash happened, Vingegaard said: "We maybe came into this roundabout a little too fast, and then my front wheel just slips. I can't do anything.
"That's how cycling races are sometimes. It's just super annoying for us, to be honest."
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Pogacar is now five minutes clear of second-placed Remco Evenepoel (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe) in the race for the yellow jersey, but the four-time winner bemoaned Vingegaard's exit.
"It's really, really sad to see that Jonas is out," Pogacar said. "Since 2021, we were always battling out for the victory.
"Maybe at the beginning we didn't have the best relationship, but in the last two years, we became good respected rivals, competitors, but I also think friends.
"The Tour will not be the same without him."
Evenepoel, meanwhile, said: "It's really bad news for himself, his team and for the race. It's something you never wish for anybody. After that you have to refocus and try to go for the maximum."
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