Jonas Vingegaard reveals Tadej Pogacar’s message after Tour de France crash and opens up on their closer relationship amid retirement rumours
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Published 30/07/2026 at 17:56 GMT+1
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Jonas Vingegaard has revealed that Tadej Pogacar sent him a private message following his Tour de France crash, with the Danish rider praising the gesture from his biggest rival as their relationship continues to evolve beyond competition.
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Vingegaard was forced to abandon the 2026 Tour de France during stage 15 after crashing on a roundabout and suffering a fractured collarbone, ending his hopes of challenging Pogacar for the yellow jersey.
The Visma-Lease a Bike rider made his first public appearance since the incident at the Tour of Denmark in his home town of Glyngore, where he was welcomed by a huge home crowd celebrating his immense achievement of becoming the first Danish rider to win all three Grand Tours.
Vingegaard confirmed that UAE Team Emirates-XRG rider Pogacar had contacted him privately after the crash.
"He wrote me a message. I was actually happy about that. I'm just happy that he thinks of me and thinks it's cool how the rivalry is going," Vingegaard said to Danish television channel TV2.
The pair have been at the centre of cycling's biggest rivalry since 2021, battling for Tour de France success while developing a greater respect for one another away from racing.
Vingegaard admitted their relationship has changed over recent years, becoming more friendly despite their intense competition.
"At first it was maybe a little more - not hostile, but not so friendly in some way," Vingegaard said.
"It's become a lot friendlier there in the last couple of years. I think that's really cool. Sometimes we have a good chat. I think that's nice."
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Pogacar has won four of their six Tour de France battles, including this year's edition after Vingegaard's crash ended his challenge. At the time of the incident, the Dane was 4'30'' behind the Slovenian in the general classification.
Despite the setback, Vingegaard remains confident he can return to compete for cycling's biggest prize, and believes he still has plenty to achieve.
Vingegaard addresses retirement rumours
The 29-year-old also responded to speculation that he could retire after 2028, when his current contract with Visma expires.
Vingegaard dismissed suggestions that a retirement date has already been decided, insisting his future will depend on how he feels in the coming years.
"I haven't decided when I will retire. Time will tell," he continued.
"If by the end of 2028 I feel like I don't want to do it any more, then I'm going to retire, but it might also be that I'm going to continue. I don't know at this point.
"There are still many races that I haven't won, and that's also something that motivates me.
"We've also focused on that this year, and so I've won three races this year that I haven't won before [Giro d'Italia, Paris-Nice, Volta a Catalunya]. We can hope that next year I can also win some races that I haven't won before."
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Vingegaard has yet to resume training following his collarbone injury and has not confirmed his racing schedule for the remainder of the 2026 season, admitting he does not want to rush his return.
"I needed a break after the Tour. It's been a tough year and a tough bike race, so I needed a break because there's been so much," he said.
"Whether I will ride any more races this season? That hasn't been discussed yet. That also depends on my recovery."
The Dane also reflected on the significance of returning to his home town and being able to watch the Tour of Denmark with his family.
"I'm here in Glyngore with my family in my home town, watching a bike race. I think that's pretty special," he added.
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Vingegaard has no intention of retiring any time soon
Image credit: Getty Images
"This is a very big moment for me. It's nice to have to start here in my home town. Now, my team-mates, they can see the roads I'm training on, and how the area looks like."
Having already written his name into cycling history by winning all three Grand Tours, Vingegaard admitted he still struggles to fully appreciate his achievements, and highlighted the unpredictable nature of cycling after his Tour de France crash.
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"I still have a hard time understanding it and seeing myself in that category that is so historic. I'm still just Jonas, so it might be a little hard to understand," Vingegaard continued.
"You don't really dare to believe you've won a Grand Tour until you finish stage 21. Anything can happen, and we saw that in the Tour this year.
"All of a sudden, you're lying on the asphalt with a broken collarbone."
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