Vingegaard dismisses retirement rumors

Jonas Vingegaard broke his silence for the first time since returning to Denmark after his dramatic crash at the Tour de France. The Visma-Lease a Bike rider, who had to abandon the Tour de France due to a fractured right collarbone sustained on stage 15, spoke to Belgian and Danish media during a special visit to the Tour of Denmark, which started in his hometown of Glyngøre.

Vingegaard's presence drew an enthusiastic crowd, eager to celebrate the first Danish rider to win all three Grand Tours. It was a moving welcome for a champion who, despite the difficult times, has shown he still has a hunger for victory.

Physical condition improving, but the bike can wait

Regarding his recovery, the Dane reassured fans: "I'm feeling better. It barely hurts anymore. I can use my arm, it's not like it was before, but I'll get there." However, Vingegaard hasn't yet returned to cycling training and is enjoying a period of rest with his family. He had been spotted around Glyngøre, away from the racing and the stress of a season that had seen him dominate for months.

A season to remember, despite everything

2026 was an extraordinary year for Vingegaard: 51 days of racing, several altitude retirements, victory at Paris-Nice, the Volta a Catalunya, and, most importantly, the Giro d'Italia, completing his collection of three Grand Tours and entering the Olympus of world cycling. Only seven other riders in history have achieved this feat. Yet, the champion remains incredibly humble: "I still struggle to understand it and to see myself in that historic category. I'm still just Jonas."

World Cup in the crosshairs? It depends on recovery.

There's been talk of a possible participation in the UCI Road World Championships in Montreal, Canada, at the end of September, wearing the Danish national team jersey. Vingegaard, however, preferred not to comment: "Will I race again this season? We haven't talked about it yet. It depends on my recovery. I needed a break after the Tour: it was a very tough year and a very tough race."

No early retirement: the legend continues

Perhaps the most anticipated news was the response to rumors that he was ready to retire after 2028, the year his contract with Visma-Lease a Bike expires. Vingegaard dismissed the rumor with his usual calmness: "I haven't decided when I'll retire. Time will tell. If at the end of 2028 I feel like I don't want to do it anymore, I'll stop. But I might also continue. I don't know yet."

Motivating him is the knowledge that there are still many races to win: "This year I won three races that I've never won before. Let's hope that next year I can conquer something new too."

Thinking about the fall at the Tour

Finally, a moment of reflection on the precariousness of cycling: "You don't really dare believe you've won a Grand Tour until you cross the finish line of the twenty-first stage. Anything can happen, and we saw it this year at the Tour: suddenly you find yourself on the asphalt with a broken collarbone." These words are a warning to all fantasy cyclists: in this sport, no outcome is ever a foregone conclusion until the very last meter.