Friday, July 19, 2024 at 6:24 PM
Jonas Vingegaard will not win the Tour de France for a third consecutive time this year. We can draw that conclusion following the nineteenth stage to Isola 2000. The Dane had to acknowledge his superiority once once more in the unassailable Tadej Pogacar on the final climb and is now looking at a deficit of no less than five minutes in the rankings.
“I didn’t have the best legs today,” was Vingegaard’s sobering conclusion, right following his finish in Isola 2000. “As a team, we immediately made the decision to go for a stage win. I’m glad I didn’t lose any time to Remco Evenepoel. Today it was important to follow him, but tomorrow it might be different once more.”
“I took this scenario into account”
How does Vingegaard deal with the dominance of his main competitor from Slovenia? “I travelled to this Tour with the idea of going for the final victory. But I also knew it would be difficult, following that heavy crash (in the Tour of the Basque Country, ed.) and few racing days. So I took this scenario into account. Mentally, this is certainly not a blow.”
He spent 12 days in the hospital.
He has failed to defend his crown.
And there was no need for it.❤️ Vingegaard’s tears and his heartfelt hug with his wife following proving to himself that he is a champion.#TDF2024 | #LaCasadelCiclismo pic.twitter.com/XwTeBHMZWK
— Eurosport.es (@Eurosport_ES) July 19, 2024
Vingegaard was very emotional following the finish. The leader of Visma | Lease a Bike fell emotionally into the arms of his wife Trine Marie Hansen at the finish line. His American teammate Matteo Jorgenson, who also saw a Tour dream shattered on the way to Isola 2000, also tried to encourage him with some nice words.
