Jonas Vingegaard will have to postpone the start of his season. The 29-year-old Dane from Team Visma | Lease a Bike will not be able to take part in the UAE Tour (16 to 22 February) as originally planned. This was announced by his team on 6 February. The reason for the cancellation is a combination of a recent crash during a training session and a subsequent illness. The seven-day tour in the United Arab Emirates was supposed to mark the start of the season for the two-time Tour de France winner.
"I was really looking forward to returning to the UAE Tour and am therefore disappointed that we had to make this decision," explained Vingegaard in a statement from his team. "However, the combination of the crash and the subsequent illness makes it necessary. It's better to fully recover first so that I can then focus on my next goals."
Training crash with consequences
The incident that led to Vingegaard's retirement occurred at the end of January during a training camp near Malaga. The Dane crashed during a training ride. Interestingly, an amateur rider is said to have been partly responsible. According to reports, Vingegaard rode a descent with increased risk in order to overtake the amateur following him, which led to the fall. Initially, the injuries did not appear to be serious, but in combination with a later illness, the Dane's preparation was so badly affected that the team had to pull the emergency brake.
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"Due to both the crash and the illness, he wasn't able to train as well," explained Grischa Niermann, Sports Director at Visma | Lease a Bike, to the specialist portal Wielerflits. "I can't say exactly how long he was off the bike, but it was to such an extent that we decided he couldn't be fit in time, or at least not in top form or very good form for the UAE Tour."
Customised race calendar
What happens next for Vingegaard is still being worked out. The most likely date for his return is the Volta a Catalunya (23 to 29 March), but Niermann avoided presenting this as a firm commitment. "First of all, we will see how quickly he is fully fit again," he said. "After that, we'll see what happens with Jonas."
However, the big picture remains unchanged. Vingegaard is to prepare for the Giro d'Italia, which takes place from 8 to 31 May. The victory in Italy is the only one that the Dane still lacks in the three major national tours. At the Giro, Vingegaard is also hoping to build up his form for the Tour de France starting at the beginning of July, where he wants to challenge Tadej Pogačar again.
Leon Weidner
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