Vingegaard to defend Tour de France title

Two-time defending champion Jonas Vingegaard will compete successful this year's Tour de France aft overcoming superior injuries sustained earlier this season.

The 27-year-old Dane has not raced since suffering a surgery collarbone and ribs and a collapsed lung successful nan Tour of nan Basque Country astatine nan commencement of April.

“The past fewer months person not ever been easy, but I convey my family and Team Visma-Lease a Bike for their unwavering support," Vingegaard, said.

The Tour de France originates successful nan Italian metropolis of Florence, connected 29 June.

Vingegaard will beryllium supported by nine-time shape victor and erstwhile greenish jersey holder Wout van Aert, who was primitively scheduled to thrust nan Giro d'Italia and past walk July preparing for nan Olympic Games successful Paris.

However, a high-speed clang of his own, in a one-day title successful Belgium, altered those plans.

Under normal circumstances Vingegaard would beryllium considered a beardown favourite to support his clasp connected nan yellowish jersey, which he won successful 2022 and 2023.

Yet fixed nan artifact of training and mentation that he has missed, doubts will stay complete his shape and readiness to compete complete 3 weeks successful cycling's top race, peculiarly fixed nan beingness of his awesome rival Tadej Pogacar, who convincingly won nan Giro successful May.

"He is coming backmost from a superior injury. In nan past fewer weeks, he has shown what a champion he is, some mentally and physically," said Vingegaard's Team Visma sporting head Merijn Zeeman.

"Of course, we don't cognize really acold he tin spell yet. We are being cautious because he has not been capable to race, and his mentation has been little than ideal, to opportunity nan least. But he will beryllium there, patient and motivated."

American riders Matteo Jorgenson and Sepp Kuss are besides portion of a beardown eight-man Visma-Lease a Bike line-up for nan Tour on pinch Christophe Laporte, Tiesj Benoot, Wilco Kelderman and Jan Tratnik.