“We have become much friendlier over the past couple of years” – Jonas Vingegaard reveals Tadej Pogacar sent private message after Tour de France crash
Cycling
Jonas Vingegaard has revealed that Tadej Pogacar sent him a private message after the crash that ended his 2026 Tour de France, with the Dane admitting that their relationship has changed considerably in recent years.
Pogacar had already responded publicly after Vingegaard fractured his collarbone on stage 15, but also contacted the Team Visma | Lease a Bike leader directly following his withdrawal.
“He sent me a message,” Vingegaard told Danish media in Glyngore during the Tour of Denmark. “I was really pleased about that. I’m just happy that he was thinking of me, and I think it’s great how the rivalry between us has developed.”
Private message followed Tour-ending crash
Vingegaard crashed at a roundabout with approximately 20 kilometres remaining on the road to Plateau de Solaison. He had started the day second overall, 4:30 behind Pogacar, with Visma preparing to attack on the final climb before their plans were brought to an abrupt end.
The injury required surgery and denied the pair another direct confrontation across the final week of the Tour. Pogacar’s private message came after years in which the two riders had shared almost every major battle for the yellow jersey.
Pogacar and Vingegaard have been the central figures in every Tour de France since 2021, sharing the last six editions between them. Pogacar defeated Vingegaard in 2021 before the Dane turned the rivalry around with consecutive victories in 2022 and 2023. The UAE Team Emirates – XRG leader regained the yellow jersey in 2024 and has now won three Tours in succession, with Vingegaard’s crash ending their latest contest prematurely.
Jonas Vingegaard and Tadej Pogacar ride alongside each other at the 2026 Tour de France
Rivalry has changed since first Tour battles
Their exchanges away from racing were once more restrained. “At the beginning it was perhaps a little more, not hostile, but not especially friendly either,” Vingegaard said. “We have become much friendlier over the past couple of years. I think that’s really nice. Sometimes we have a good chat, which I enjoy.”
Visma and UAE have repeatedly shaped their Grand Tour programmes around finding an advantage over the other, while Pogacar and Vingegaard have routinely distanced the rest of the Tour field.
Serious injuries have also interrupted both sides of the rivalry. Vingegaard missed much of the build-up to the 2024 Tour after his heavy crash at the Tour of the Basque Country, while Pogacar fractured his wrist during the spring of 2023.
Both recovered in time to challenge for yellow. Pogacar finished second to Vingegaard in 2023, before reversing the result a year later after the Dane’s shortened preparation.
Their rivalry began when Vingegaard emerged as Pogacar’s closest challenger in 2021. Six Tours later, the pair have won every edition between them and remain the two riders around whom the race is built.
Vingegaard still believes he can beat Pogacar
Speaking in Glyngore, Vingegaard made clear that he still believes he can win another Tour de France. He also said it would surprise him greatly if he did not return to the race, despite Pogacar now holding four victories from their six Tour encounters.
Vingegaard has not yet returned to training and no decision has been made over whether he will race again in 2026. The World Championships in Montreal remain possible, but the Dane is reluctant to repeat the rushed rehabilitation that followed his Basque Country crash two years ago. “I also learned something from when I crashed two years ago,” he said. “I don’t want to force it, because it takes a lot to come back.”
Vingegaard can now use the injured arm, although he admitted it has not yet returned to full strength. He also stressed that he would have taken a break at this point of the season even without the crash, having already won the Giro d’Italia and raced through the first two weeks of the Tour.
Pogacar’s latest Tour victory has moved the Slovenian further ahead in their head-to-head record, but Vingegaard still intends to return and challenge him again.
Their relationship may be friendlier away from racing, but another fight for the yellow jersey remains firmly in Vingegaard’s plans.
Kieran WoodDeputy Editor-in-Chief
Kieran Wood is a sports journalist based in Wales and has been active in journalism since 2022. He regularly contributes to DartsNews.com and CyclingUpToDate.com, where he covers professional cycling and darts. In cycling, his work includes liveblogs from major races, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España, alongside race reports and analysis. He has also conducted interviews with professional riders.
His reporting spans the full racing calendar, from one-day classics to stage races, with a focus on accurate, real-time coverage and clear contextual analysis. For statistics, results, and historical context, he regularly uses resources such as ProCyclingStats. To support reporting on rider activity and training context where relevant, he also references Strava.
In his work, Kieran places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles as new, verified information becomes available.
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- for what?frieders311-11-2026
- Blah blah blah!frieders311-11-2026
- Where Merckx just rode every single race he could and won all the time, Hinault won less often (percentage wise) because he was more judicious in what he raced. His palmares are nuts. He had amazing rivals, one to start his career and another to end it in the grand tours. His classics were solid. What sets him apart from Merckx and Pogačar are that he basically dabbled in the classics while the other two love(d) them. I used to compare Pogačar to Hinault for his grand tour record and occasional classics win, until I realized that the comparison was wrong. Pogačar loves the classics - ah, the memory of his reaction to finishing fourth in a 2 person sprint in Flanders in ‘22: utter domination in any one day race since then, even when he doesn’t win. Hinault lived for the grand tours and I don’t think anyone else will ever reach his record. 10 wins in 13 attempts? Good lord. An amazing rider. Wish there was more footage to watch.RidesHills11-11-2026
- I had no idea about that either.
santiagobenites10-11-2026 - great analysis thanks! appreciate you posting this. I didn't realize CX had a different standard for deviation. this is even more egregious it seems.mij10-11-2026
- As he isn't currently with Red Bull, I guess if he want to race for one more year he needs to find a team. He's 37 so this will be his last year I would guess, unless he wants to race for almost nothing like Froome did.awp10-11-2026
- I think some are making much ado about nothing. Even though Jonas is getting older, before his crash in the Tour, he looked like a solid 2nd all the way home. No one can really climb with Tadej until this year, Eric Mas showed himself which I think was a one off year for him and Paul Seixas has been able to be pretty close to him. Whatever stage race Jonas enters as long as Tadej is not there he is a favorite to win.awp10-11-2026
- Giro or not Giro, he won't win the Tour!MajorPayne10-11-2026
- Very true.awp10-11-2026
- Ciccone had a very strong end of season. Consistently attacking and livening up races. Hope he makes that last leap in progress and starts notching some significant wins. Great rider to watch.Occam10-11-2026
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