"He ended up comforting us more than we comforted him" - Campenaerts on Vingegaard's reaction to crash and McDonald's order after crash
CyclingWednesday, 22 July 2026 at 13:00
Jonas Vingegaard crashed out of the 2026 Tour de France on Sunday in a gutting moment for the Dane and Visma | Lease a Bike. Breaking his collarbone as he crashed into the sidewalk before the day's final climb, Vingegaard's Tour dream was instantly ended.
In a shocking moment for fans, the Visma team went from controlling the stage and ready to light up the final climb to having no leader and reason to continue their carefully crafted plan. The team picked up the pieces on the rest day and are now formulating a plan to pick up a stage win in the race's final days.
But first, Vingegaard's teammates were disappointed to lose their leader and morale suffered a hammer blow in the hours after the crash. However, according to Victor Campenaerts, Vingegaard himself helped raise up his teammates that evening at the hotel.
He came to the hotel," Campenaerts told Sporza after stage 16.
"He'd probably already had his moment, and the emotional blow will probably only really hit him once he's back home, but he ended up comforting us more than we comforted him."
Campenaerts on driving force behind Tour de France
With a team built around the Dane, Campenaerts noted that the crash came at a vital moment that had saw the team take initiative in their quest to make up ground on yellow jersey Tadej Pogacar, with the Belgian opening up on his motivation - to win the Tour as part of a team.
"That is my driving force, to bring out the best in myself, to try and win the Tour de France," the Belgian said.
"The stages we had targeted were still to come. It was the first time we had taken control of the race."
That evening, an injured Jonas Vingegaard saw an opportunity; to escape the strict diet riders abide by during the Tour. He scouted out some fast food in the form of McDonald's and lifted the spirits of his teammates.
Jonas Vingegaard being attended to on the ground after his fall at the Tour de France
Vingegaard's McDonald's visit as he encourages teammates
He revealed: "We actually had a nice dinner; it was very pleasant. Usually, we have burgers and fries, but they’re the 'food coach' versions, different from the local chip shop, though still very tasty."
"But there was a McDonald's in a nearby village, and Jonas went out to get 'real' burgers and fries. He sat at our table. It was a really nice evening. I think everyone went back to their rooms feeling good."
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The team already set out their new ambitions to win a stage. After a top ten with Bruno Armirail in the Tuesday time trial. There's two hilly and three mountain stages left on the menu for Campenaerts and co.
"That’s a difficult switch. Trying to win stages hasn't been on my agenda for quite some time. Tomorrow, we’ll try to come up with a solid plan as a team."
Gavin QuinnCycling Journalist
Gavin Quinn is a cycling journalist and ultra-distance cyclist with a BA in Journalism from Dublin City University. Formerly the Press & Communications Officer for Cycling Ireland, Gavin has worked inside the national team at the World Championships and has reported for the Irish Mirror, Mirror UK, and The42.
His expertise is backed by elite-level access, having interviewed stars like Sam Bennett and Ben Healy, as well as immense personal endurance. In 2025, he completed a 12,000km solo cycle from Ireland to Vietnam, following a 4,600km tour across Europe. From the cobbles of Paris-Roubaix to the gradients of the Tourmalet, Gavin’s writing focuses on the "romance and brutality" of the sport. Having visited 50+ countries, he brings a global, cultural perspective to his coverage of the pro peloton for CyclingUpToDate.
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- Hey Mistermause, Pogi and Torito will figure it out.mus-musculuspeedypogigonzales22-07-2026
- Thanks Andrew...I know I'm cool... LOL...mus-musculuspeedypogigonzales22-07-2026
- Usual suspectsMistermaumau22-07-2026
- So what happens to your mini Pog DT then?Mistermaumau22-07-2026
- Too many problems to solve over at MandisU to focus on cycling.Mistermaumau22-07-2026
- That’s kind of BS MM! You should inform yourself before spewing crap out. Maybe it wasn’t at the time yours was but they can’t do everyone simultaneously. The fact you got chosen is kind of proof the criteria aren’t as suspicious as some make out since neither you nor your team are particularly dangerous in any racing aspect. 150+ other riders also haven’t had 5am sessions, why pick out a single rider?Mistermaumau22-07-2026
- E20,900 so far...... some teams haven't earned that in prize money yet, maybe need to list the UCI Fines in the total prize fundsslappers6622-07-2026
- Cool story bro, love your work. 😘
Andrew22-07-2026 - I’ll take my tongue out my cheek for the next few comments.Andrew22-07-2026
- Evanapoel is certainly on a high. Stage 18 is going to be interesting.Cyclingsbestfan22-07-2026
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