Jonas Vingegaard Looks Set to Miss Worlds but Ending Season Early Could Be a Risk

Jonas Vingegaard hasn’t competed since stage 15 of the Tour de France, having suffered a fractured collarbone in a crash.

The Dane is recovering from that but the chances of him competing in the world road championships next month in Canada appear to have dropped, with media reporting he has decided to miss the race.

HLN quotes unnamed sources as saying the Visma-Lease a Bike rider will not compete in Canada, despite a hilly course which could suit his abilities.

It further suggests he may not compete again in 2026, pointing out that he has competed 51 days already and that there are few races remaining this year that will line up with his strengths.

HLN states that Visma-Lease a Bike will give an update on Vingegaard in the coming days, with clarification presumably to follow then.

Winner this season of a dozen races, including five stages plus the overall in the Giro d’Italia, Vingegaard started the Tour de France insisting that he had big ambitions for the overall. He seized yellow on day one when his squad won the team time trial and was sitting second overall to Pogačar for much of the race.

While he didn’t compare to him on the shorter earlier climbs, the Dane insisted that his training would see him shine in the high mountains. However he never got a chance to prove that point, crashing on stage 15 and withdrawing with a fractured collarbone.

Since then Vingegaard attended the Tour of Denmark to support his team, and told HLN and Sporza there that the needed time off after the Tour.

“It’s been a tough year and a tough bike race, so I needed a break because there’s been so much,” he said then.

He left his plans for the remainder of the year up in the air.

“Whether I will ride any more races this season? That hasn’t been discussed yet. That also depends on my recovery.”

A big reason to keep on competing

In the context of that fatigue and also the revelation at this year’s Tour that he considered quitting the sport last season, there is speculation that he might end his season early.

If Visma-Lease a Bike does indeed issue an update soon, his plans will be clarified. However if he does call a halt to his racing now, this could bring complications for 2027.

It is often said that a rider’s season helps pave the way for the following year. That’s why injured riders often try to return before season end, even if it is just to log some racing kilometers.

Were Vingegaard to bring an end to his 2026 campaign it would mean he would be six or more months without competition before making his 2027 racing debut.

That’s a very big gap, and one which could affect his base for next year.

It would also be the earliest season end since he turned professional in 2019.

That’s a big risk.

It’s worth considering his program for 2021 and 2022, the autumns prior to his two Tour de France victories.

He competed until October 9 in 2021, placing 12th in the Giro dell’Emilia and 14th in Il Lombardia

The following year he again did Il Lombardia, netting 16th.

That late finish set him up well for the following years, with Tour successes following.

Last season he won the Vuelta and continued until the Euro champs on October 5.

He was flying out of the blocks this year, winning two stages plus the overall in Paris-Nice and also the Volta a Catalunya.

In that light getting in some competition prior to the end of this year should be good for Vingegaard’s condition and also for his morale.

Racing in the weeks ahead appears to be worth doing, even if he doesn’t have the same end of season success as big rival Pogačar.