Vingegaard, against the wall: experts analyze whether he will arrive in good condition at the Tour

The news coming from Europe about the health of the Danish cyclist Jonas Vingegaardwho sees the option of defending the last two titles he has won in the Tour de Franceare not the best, after last Thursday's fall in the fourth stage of the Basque Country.

Vingegaard is admitted to a hospital, with a broken collarbone, fracture of two ribs and a punctured lung, which suggests that his goal of 2024 in France is almost liquidated.

difficult topic

The European media warn that the 27-year-old runner underwent surgery in the last few hours at the Hospital de Txagorritxu, in Vitoriaand was admitted to an intensive care unit.

The information is not entirely encouraging, since the problem that most affects him in recovering and getting to the Tour well is the lung problem.

There are 82 days left until the Tour de France begins and Jonas Vingegaard is the great unknown.

The doctor Pablo Marcos de la Torre explained that his recovery. “It would be almost impossible to reach 100 percent for the Tour,” said the doctor.

Merijn Zeeman, team sports director Visma, said on the Het Nieuwsblad page that at the moment it is difficult to make a decision.

“The first part of his preparation has been canceled and he will miss the high altitude concentration in May, so if he goes to the Tour the path will have to be different, and if that doesn't work we will choose another scenario. It will only be there if it is one hundred percent,” he declared.

For now, the health status of the two-time Tour champion, who is accompanied by his family in the Hospital, will continue to be closely monitored by doctors in the intensive care unit to which he was admitted after his operation, and in the coming days You could have a much clearer picture on an issue that shook the world of cycling.

Very complicated

“The rib punctures the pleura that covers the lung and air escapes into the thoracic cavity, which is known as pneumothorax,” he said. Mauricio Quiroga, medical specialist.

And he added: “When there is that free air, it causes the lung to collapse and the patient does not ventilate on that side. When you put the chest tube in, what it does is drain the air, the lung expands and you breathe normally again.”

What distresses Vingegaard and his team is that he cannot arrive at the Tour in the best conditions, since his preparation is delayed due to the accident in the Basque Country.

“It generally resolves in about 72 hours. Radiological controls are carried out and when free air is no longer seen, the tube is removed. According to the injuries, he could be on time for the Tour, although he is very ahead, “But the issue is that the preparation plan, the restart of their training is delayed and would not reach one hundred percent,” Quiroga sentenced.

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