Tour de France: Vingegaard Silences Trash Talk With Stage 11 Comeback Victory

Two-time Tour de France champion Jonas Vingegaard was off to a great start in the 2024 cycling season as he readied himself for the penultimate of all races, a 21-day race that goes 2,174 miles through the Alps and Pyrenees' mountains. But in early April, his preparation came to a sudden halt when he had a disastrous crash while racing in Spain's Basque country. Thanks to a concrete culvert, he sustained serious injuries that nearly ended his life, to say nothing of his future in cycling. He suffered a broken collarbone, fractured ribs and a collapsed lung. He spent 12 days in a hospital before returning to his native Denmark, and even his flight home had to be at low altitude to keep his lung from collapsing again. Despite all of this, Jonas was at the starting line of this year's Tour de France, happy just to be there. After 10 stages of the race, he was down 1:15 to Slovenian Tadej Pogacar, who has also won the Tour twice. He was even a few seconds behind Belgian newcomer Remco Evenepoel. But yesterday's 211 km stage, which included 4,350 meters of climbing, proved that it's far too soon to count him out. Not only did he win the stage but did so in spectacular fashion after Tadej launched one of his trademark attacks with 31 km left in the race. Not only did Jonas catch Tadej, but actually beat the explosive Pogacar in a dueling sprint to the finish line.

Just a few days before, Vingegaard's GC rivals were trash-talking him for refusing to pull for Pogacar and Evenepoel in the gravel stage. Evenepoel, who has some growing up to do, actually accused Jonas of "having no balls." The normally affable Pogacar suggested that Vingegaard might be a little bit afraid of him. But as Jonas explained, his goal in the gravel stage was to keep up with the leaders, not beat them. He was riding defensively, and for good reason. First, he considers gravel dangerous, Second, he had to switch bikes with a taller teammate for nearly 100 km of the race, which was obviously not fitted to him. Third, even on that bike, Jonas rode the final three km with a puncture. He made the right move, especially because his strength is in the upcoming mountain stages.

When Pogacar launched his attack yesterday, it at first looked like that was the end for Jonas. He was 30 seconds behind after Tadej climbed a hill and went into a furious downhill descent. But Jonas never gave up. He kept pushing and pushing, and that 30 second margin began to disappear. On the final climb, Jonas caught a struggling Tadej, who made the double mistake of attacking too soon and failing to fuel himself. Usually smiling, he had a pained look in his face. He was running out of gas, or as cyclists say, bonking. 

Jonas took the lead, but the race was not over. In the final few hundred meters, as the parkour flattened, Jonas decided that instead of waiting for Tadej to attack, he'd do so himself. Despite his obviously weakened condition, Tadej met the challenge and the two were neck and neck until the very end, with Jonas winning by a wheel. 

He let his bicycle do the talking. Jonas is still third overall but is gaining time. 

After the race was over, the normally reserved Dane broke into tears. "I'm just happy to be here, especially to win it for my family," he said, and he means it. The first persons he calls after each stage are his wife and daughter. "I'm a bit surprised I could beat [Tadej] in the sprint," he added. He should be. That's the first time Tadej was ever beaten in a sprint. 

The race is still Tadej's to lose. But he needs to ride less instinctively and more intelligently, especially in the upcoming mountain stages. 

I did see Remco congratulate Jonas after the race. Jonas was on the phone with his family but did give Remco a fist bump. Evenepoel then went to look for his balls on the gravel. 

Tadej was complimentary as well. "He beat me really good on the line," he admitted. 

A lot of life lessons were taught today. Don't listen to what others say about you. Listen to yourself. But be honest with yourself. Don't think you're more powerful than you are. 

11 stages to go.