"Jonas himself said he thought he was dying" - Visma DS reacts with fury to those saying extent of Vingegaard's crash injuries were overblown

Jonas Vingegaard has performed more than admirably at the 2024 Tour de France after months away from racing following his horrific crash at the Itzulia Basque Country. In fact, the Dane has been so good, some have called into question just how bad Vingegaard's injuries actually were.

There's no doubting the scary nature of the images of Vingegaard being stretchered into the back of an ambulance whilst wearing an oxygen mask, after barely moving at the roadside earlier this year. Reports in the weeks that followed weren't great either as news emerged of multiple broken bones and a punctured lung, with time spent in intensive care. The fact that Vingegaard has managed to return so strongly so soon however, is being questioned by some, even within the peloton.

"Jonas' injury was perhaps not as bad as was initially portrayed after the Basque Country. For two months everything was quiet. Now we see why. Jonas is ready, he is in good shape," said INEOS Grenadiers physiotherapist Marko Dzalo recently for example. "I have heard from sources within the team that the training figures showed that he is in even better shape than last year."

Jonas Vingegaard himself admitted that his wattages are better than they ever have been at this Tour de France, despite the two time Maillot Jaune winner trailing Tadej Pogacar by more than three minutes. Nevertheless, Team Visma | Lease a Bike sports director Merijn Zeeman is furious that the extent of Vingegaard's injuries are even being questioned.

"I hear and read more and more from outsiders: it can't have been that bad. Even from Marko Dzalo of INEOS Grenadiers, who I know well, I read that Jonas' injuries after the Basque Country weren't that bad. You really can't say that," Zeeman laments to HLN. "Jonas himself said that he thought he was dying when he was transferred to the stretcher in the MUG car. In intensive care he was tied to a mattress for ten days, without being able to turn or pull himself up because all his ribs were broken. He had to call the nurses every time to ask: 'can you turn me over a bit...''

"That he is now among the best riders is an incredible story and at the same time a great compliment for him, his trainer, our rehabilitation coach and nutrition specialist," concludes Zeeman. "They created a framework so that Jonas could improve as quickly as possible every day, because every training day in Tignes had to be a hit to reach this level."