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. 

The Race That Matters Most to Me at This Time

Jonas Vingegaard

It's not the Presidential race or the looming battles for Congressional seats. Rather, the race that matters most to me at this time is one receiving scant coverage in American press. It's the Tour de France, a cycling race that extends 2,174 miles over 21 days. It goes through hills, cobblestones, gravel and mountain stages. Today, for example, riders will go through the Alps from Italy into France, in reverse direction from the way Hannibal descended into Italy over 2,000 years ago. 

The person in the overall lead (General Classification) wears a yellow jersey, known as the maillet jaune, unless someone can beat his overall time. The fastest sprinter (there are sprints in nearly every stage) wears the green jersey. The fastest mountain climber, known as the King of the Mountains, wears a polka dot jersey. 

Slovenian cyclist Tadej Pogacar won the race in 2020 and 2021. Jonas Vingegaard won in 2022 and 2023. They are both in it to win it this year.

These guys are very classy. In the 2022 race, which was a duel between Jonas and Tadej, both were descending a mountain at high speed. Tadej was slightly behind but made a slight mistake and went off the road. Get this. Instead of taking advantage of the situation, Jonas actually slowed down and waited for Tadej to catch up. The two shook hands and continued. That's true sportsmanship.

Though Tadej is predicted to win, Jonas is my favorite. Just a few short years ago, he was working in a fish factory. Now he is the leader of Visma, one of the top cycling teams in the world.

Tadej Pogacar

Earlier this year, Jonas had a terrible accident in the Basque country. He and several other riders were caught up in a collision caused by tree roots that grew out of the road. He suffered broken ribs, a broken collarbone and a punctured lung. Most counted him out for the season. But he's back and is neck and neck with the leaders.  

Tadej just won the Giro d'Italia and basically blew everyone away. He is in top form, so I expect to see their friendly rivalry continue in the mountains and time trials. 

There are lots of storylines. Englishman Marc Cavendish, despite graying hair, is racing just to get one stage win, which will give him 35 stage wins overall and make him the first rider to have accomplished that feat. 

The first three stages have been won by underdogs from small teams. Frenchmen Romain Bardet and Kevin Vauquelin won stages 1 and 2, respectively. Believe it or not, few Frenchman actually win any stages. Stage 3 went to Biniam Girmay, the first black African to ever win a stage. 

In the main battle for overall lead, four cyclists - Jonas Vingegaard, Tadej Pogacar, Remco Evenepoel and Richard Carapaz - have the exact same time. Carapaz is in yellow because his wheel was first over the line yesterday. Expect that to change. 

What kills me is that all of these guys speak perfect English. Tadej always seems to be having fun. Jonas calls his wife and daughter after every stage. 

Though there is little American coverage, NBC sports does daily recaps on Youtube.