"I'm either going to drown in my own blood or die from bleeding out" - Jonas Vingegaard recalls genuine fear of death immediately after Basque Country crash
Cycling
For Jonas Vingegaard, 2024 is likely to remembered for a horrific crash at the Itzulia Basque Country that saw the Dane rushed into the back of an ambulance in an oxygen mask. Although he was ultimately able to make a full recovery and put up career best numbers at the Tour de France, immediately following the incident, Vingegaard admits he seriously feared dying.
In a brand new episode of DR programme, 'Sportssommeren 2024: Sekunder vi husker', which premieres this Saturday, Vingegaard reflects the very genuine fears he had as he lay on the side of the room in pain and unable to move. "I think I have some internal bleeding that means I'm either going to drown in my own blood or die from bleeding out," he recalls with brutal honesty. "So, yeah... That's when I kind of think it's over."
One of the most seriously affected in a crash that also left notable names such as Primoz Roglic, Remco Evenepoel and Jay Vine among others hospitalised, the concern for Vingegaard was incredibly severe in the immediate aftermath. "It was so bad that I thought I was going to die," he admits. "When I was lying there thinking that, I thought that if I survived, I would stop cycling. Now I'm sitting here, so I didn't do that. But you think about it."
For Vingegaard's wife, Trine Vingegaard Hansen there was also concern, made even worse by the fact that TV broadcasters kept repeating the images of the crash without providing any real updates to the conditions of the riders involved. "I just say 'fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck'," she recalls emotionally on the show.
As mentioned though, thankfully, Vingegaard was able to make a full recovery and actually posted career-best numbers at the 2024 Tour de France despite losing the Maillot Jaune to Tadej Pogacar.
An amazing, emotional comeback 🏆😪
— Velon CC (@VelonCC) November 24, 2024
Jonas Vingegaard out-sprinted Tadej Pogačar to win Stage 11 of the Tour de France, 98 days after suffering collarbone and rib fractures and a collapsed lung in a crash at Itzulia Basque Country. pic.twitter.com/4n7SgdDgWt
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