Jonas Vingegaard was the only one of the big names from Itzulia who had not fallen in the Basque race. He had respected his luck in the first three stages, which were very eventful. Everything went wrong on the fourth day, on the descent from the Olaeta pass, when in a curve to the right there was a multiple fall at high speed in which the double winner of the Tour was affected - the one who came out worst off. – and also Primoz Roglic and Remco Evenepoel.
The three fell in the middle of the descent, near a ditch, with 34 kilometers left until the Legutio finish line, and had to abandon the race as a result of the injuries from the crash. Roglic and Evenepoel left sore, but on their own, to get into their respective teams' cars. The Belgian champion seemed to have his right collarbone affected, which would force him to undergo surgery. The Slovenian from Bora, who had already fallen the day before, raised his thumb when his car started. Instead, the Dane needed a stretcher and had to be evacuated by ambulance.
Vingegaard is the one who stayed still on the ground the longest, which gave the idea that it was a serious injury. Soon the assistants from his team, Visma, arrived, took off his helmet and placed him on his side, in an almost fetal position, to await the arrival of medical services. A couple of companions waited for him, but both resumed walking when they realized that their leader could not continue.
Immobilized from the neck with a neck brace, Vingegaard's season, who had a third consecutive victory in the Tour de France as his main objective, is in question. After the Itzulia, the Dane, who in 2024 had already won O Gran Camiño and the Tirreno-Adriatico, had planned to reappear in the Dauphiné at the beginning of June, although we will see if he can as he will have to have surgery, since the exams They revealed that his collarbone and several ribs were broken. History repeats itself, since last year it was Pogacar who arrived short of form in the Tour after having wrist surgery due to a fall in Liege. The Dane spent the night in the hospital as a precaution.
The race had to be neutralized by the organization due to the safety protocol, since the three ambulances following the peloton had to transport other injured cyclists to Vitoria. Jay Vine (UAE), Tesfatsion (Lidl), Hermans (Alpecin) and Quinn (Education First) also fell.
Roglic's yellow jersey is inherited by the Danish Mattias Skjelmose, who was third overall after the Slovenian and Evenepoel, and yesterday on the podium he did not wear it out of respect. When the race resumed with 20 km to go, the stage, which only the six escapees could compete, went to the South African Louis Meintjes (Intermarché), who only half celebrated.
The curve was not tight, but it was very fast. When I turned and the asphalt ran out, there were some stones and a concrete ditch where Vingegaard and Roglic were hit and damaged. Evenepoel avoided those first obstacles, but fell in the middle of the forest. The descent of Olaeta, a second-class port, can mark the cycling season. Three of the Tour's favorites will see their preparation altered towards the start in Florence, on June 29. 85 days left.
