Vingegaard ends 2026 season after Tour de France collarbone fracture, misses World Championships

Season cut short

Jonas Vingegaard's 2026 cycling season is over. His team, Visma-Lease a Bike, announced on August 17 that the 29-year-old Dane will not compete in any more races this year due to the lingering effects of a collarbone fracture he suffered in a crash during the 15th stage of the Tour de France on July 19. Vingegaard was in second place in the general classification, 4 minutes and 30 seconds behind leader Tadej Pogacar, when he crashed in a roundabout approximately 20 to 23 kilometres from the finish on the stage toward the Plateau de Solaison. He slipped and collided with the opposite curb, forcing him to abandon the race. He later underwent surgery for the broken collarbone. It was the first time in 10 Grand Tour participations that Vingegaard failed to finish one of cycling's three-week races.

The crash ended what had been a strong season for the two-time Tour de France winner (2022 and 2023). Before the Tour, Vingegaard had won Paris-Nice, the Volta a Catalunya, and the Giro d'Italia. His Giro victory made him the eighth rider in history to win all three Grand Tours, adding to his Tour de France titles and his Vuelta a España win in 2025. Pogacar, by contrast, went on to claim his fifth Tour de France title this year.

What Vingegaard said

Vingegaard explained that the injury had disrupted his training schedule and made it impossible to return to peak form in time for the remaining races on the calendar.

After a long and intense period of competition, a recovery phase was planned after the Tour de France anyway. Due to the collarbone injury, the start of my training was delayed and it is not possible for me to reach top level again in the coming period.

He added that his attention has shifted to next year.

The focus is on optimal preparation for the goals of the 2027 season. I will discuss the specific goals with the team in the coming time.

Races missed

The decision means Vingegaard will sit out the Tour of Lombardy, the last Monument of the season, as well as the European Championships and the World Championships. The World Championships are scheduled for September 20 to 27 in Montreal, Canada. He had not publicly announced his end-of-season racing programme before the crash. Unlike Pogacar, Vingegaard does not typically compete in one-day "classics" races.

Visma-Lease a Bike team director Marc Reef said the decision to end the season had been anticipated after the Tour.

After a turbulent period with many racing days and the collarbone fracture that Jonas suffered in the Tour de France, it is best that he concentrates on 2027.

Reef said the team would work with Vingegaard in the coming weeks to draw up a training plan and define goals for the new season.

Career reflections

Vingegaard had already contemplated the end of his career in the past year. He said in an interview that he had not been happy in 2025 and had since changed certain things together with his team. The 2026 season, up until the Tour de France crash, represented a strong return to form, with three major stage-race victories before July.