Jonas Vingegaard: Race cancelled after two-time Tour de France champion rushed to hospital after horror crash

A cyclist who won the Tour de France twice was rushed to the hospital following a serious crash during the Itzulia Basque Country race on Thursday (April 4). The incident occurred after several cyclists fell off their bikes while navigating a corner towards the end of the route from Etxarri Aranatz to Legutio in Spain, tumbling into a concrete ditch.

Jonas Vingegaard, Tour de France champion in 2022 and 2023, was caught up in the accident and had to be carried off on a stretcher, receiving oxygen. He was also fitted with a neck brace before being taken to the hospital for further treatment. A statement from his team Visma-Lease a Bike said: “Jonas is on his way to the hospital...Thank you for your messages. An update will follow later.”

According to the live broadcast which captured the incident, the crash happened after one rider lost control on a bend, leading to more than 10 riders falling. Remco Evenepoel, a Belgian cyclist, landed on the grass but appeared to injure his collarbone. He managed to walk for assistance and was later taken to hospital.

Another rider, Primoz Roglic from Slovenia, withdrew from the race but signalled to the cameras that he was not seriously injured. Jay Vine, Sean Quinn, Alexander Cepeda, and Natnael Tesfatsion also required roadside treatment, with Vine subsequently rushed to hospital for further treatment.

According to Eurosport, a total of six riders received further treatment in hospital. The series of collisions prompted the race organisers to neutralise the stage with 27.9km remaining, with medical responders arriving before ambulances.

A statement from the organisers, posted on their official social media pages, said: “The race is neutralised until the finish line, the six leading runners will compete in the stage but the stage times will not be counted for the general classification. The platoon will go in neutral until the finish line.”

Tour de France is scheduled to take place between June 29 and July 21 this year.