Plugge points to reason for Vingegaard's crash: 'Because of that, we have now lost the number 2 of the Tour de France'
CyclingFriday, 24 July 2026 at 09:03
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Follow us on GoogleFor a long time, the 2026 Tour de France was relatively spared from serious crashes, but unfortunately, there were several incidents in the second half of the race. Richard Plugge, riding for Visma | Lease a Bike, saw his team leader Jonas Vingegaard fall behind—both literally and figuratively—at a point where, in his opinion, it really shouldn’t have happened.
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Ahead of Friday and Saturday’s stages— both of which finish at Alpe d’Huez —we spoke with Plugge. The team director of Visma | Lease a Bike, the largest cycling team in the Netherlands, has competed in the Alpe d’Huez race himself on multiple occasions. He has also spoken out in the past about the impact of the large crowds, which are expected again this weekend.
Plugge—whose full article on the “Dutch mountain” you can read on Friday morning—cites the crowd as one of the two threats to the Tour de France. Another issue, which he says was proven once again for him and his team on Sunday, is the route that will be presented in France in 2026.
Plugge: 'The course is getting more and more dangerous'
"It's simply getting more and more dangerous," he explains. "And that's exactly why Jonas crashed on Sunday. It was a very dangerous spot that wasn't properly marked. Life-threatening, in other words. As a result, we've now lost the number two rider in the Tour de France," Plugge sighs.
Vingegaard crashed at a roundabout during the stage to Plateau de Soilason. Victor Campenaerts—at the front of the peloton—cut the corner sharply behind the lead motorcycle, triggering a chain reaction. Vingegaard was riding fifth in line on the narrow roundabout when he hit the asphalt. The Dane suffered a broken collarbone as a result.
At the roundabout, the central island was marked, but there were no other signs indicating just how dangerous it could be. According to Plugge, this is part of a larger problem that, in his view, isn’t limited to the Tour de France. “It’s just getting more and more complicated to make it safe, with all the speed bumps, roundabouts, and unmarked traffic islands.”
Another fall on Wednesday due to a poorly marked spot
Two days after Jonas Vingegaard’s crash, the Tour de France lost another general classification contender in Florian Lipowitz. On Wednesday, yellow jersey wearer Tadej Pogacar narrowly avoided a crash after several riders fell on an unmarked ledge.
Tom van der Salm (27) comes from the charming town of Zeilberg (Deurne) in the Netherlands and has been working as editor-in-chief & journalist at IDL Pro Cycling's parent site, In de Leiderstrui, since 2019. He travels with the peloton from the Tour de France to the AlUla Tour and from the World Championships in Rwanda or Canada to the Zilvermeercross in Mol. In his spare time he enjoys playing football, mountain biking, running, walking with his Labrador/Stabyhoun, investing, holidays, (specialty) beers, reading, cooking and watching sports & documentaries!
Contact: [email protected]
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