Jonas Vingegaard's 2026 Tour de France is over after the two-time champion crashed out of the race during a seismic Stage 15 on Sunday.
Vingegaard had started the stage four minutes and 30 seconds behind race leader Tadej Pogacar and would have been aiming to make up ground on the 183.9km run from Champagnole to the summit finish at Plateau de Solaison.
But the Visma-Lease a Bike rider went down in the crash involving his teammate Sepp Kuss, as well as UAE Team Emirates-XRG duo Isaac del Toro and Brandon McNulty, after his front wheel clipped a curb with about 20km left. The Dane, clearly in a lot of pain, was later seen being helped into an ambulance with his right arm in a sling.
"Following a crash in Stage 15 of the Tour de France, Jonas sustained a fractured collarbone and multiple abrasions," his team later said in a statement.
"Due to the severity of the collarbone fracture, surgical intervention has been recommended and will be performed in the coming days. Join us in wishing Jonas a smooth recovery.
The other riders were able to continue and Del Torro found himself in a three-way battle for victory with teammate Pogacar and Remco Evenepoel (Red Bull-Bora-hansgrohe) on the final climb after the last breakaway rider had been caught with 5km to go.
The UAE Team Emirates-XRG pair - who had secured their second one-two of this year's race on Saturday - were unable to shake off Evenepoel with the Belgian eventually taking the lead, passing Pogacar and earning his first road win at the Tour. Del Toro was third, six seconds back.
With Vingegaard now out, Pogacar's lead in the general classification (GC) is now five minutes over Evenepoel while Del Toro is up to third, 58 seconds further back heading into Monday's rest day.
"Since 2021, we were always battling out for victory," Pogacar said of Vingegaard after the stage. "Maye at the beginning we didn't have the best relationship, but we became good rivals, respectful rivals but I also think kind of friends. The Tour won't be the same without him."
Pogacar also suggested that an early morning doping test could have contributed the the crash. He told Eurosport: "Last night, Jonas had doping control at 2am in the morning and this got me thinking, maybe you are less concentrated after your sleep was ruined. I don't blame that but it could be connected. It was sad to see him leave."
For world time-trial champion Evenepoel, it was a momentous day. “It’s amazing, I’m literally trembling from emotion,” he said. “It’s been a hell of a day, a pretty hard start, I was actually feeling really bad in the beginning. I really got better and better during the day.
“You have to understand, I’m racing with the best guy ever [Pogacar]. “He has been doing a hell of a climb to try to win the stage with Isaac, and for me it’s a big step forward that I can follow this pace, I always get so many critics about 'he cannot stand steep climbs, this and that', and it feels amazing, just towards myself, everybody around me, it means a lot.
“I was not really expecting any attacks from Isaac anymore, but he went on the last steep part, it was a pretty hard attack, and then he went again 400 to go, which was for me the perfect way to make a sprint. Then I tried to keep my momentum, tried to go as hard as possible to the finish line.
“I’ve been doing efforts on this climb maybe 20 times when I was here on training camp in Combloux, it’s amazing to get this victory and to go into the rest day with this feeling.”
Evenepoel will also now head into Tuesday’s 26.1km time-trial as big favourite to make it two stage wins in a row. “Now we have good rest day and then a beautiful day on Tuesday when I will try and go again for a stage," he added.
Stage 15 results
1. Remco Evenepoel (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe) 4:23:09
2. Tadej Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) "
3. Isaac Del Toro (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) +6
4. Paul Seixas (Decathlon CMA CGM Team) +58
5. Florian Lipowitz (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe) "
General Classification
1. Tadej Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) 55:41:31
2. Remco Evenepoel (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe) +5:00
3. Isaac Del Toro (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) XRG +5:58
4. Paul Seixas (Decathlon CMA CGM Team) +6:23
5. Florian Lipowitz (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe) +6:48
