“We truly believe we can do something special at this race,” said a senior member of Visma-Lease a Bike’s staff on the morning of the Tour de France’s opening team time trial in Barcelona. “Honestly, there is something spectacular planned for Jonas in the third week.”The two-time Tour winner never got that chance. Vingegaard’s race ended in the final 20km of stage 15 after suffering a broken collarbone. The final images of his participation in the race were of the Dane sitting on the tarmac cradling his arm, before being led, pale-faced, off the course.By that point, almost five minutes down on yellow jersey Tadej Pogačar, the Tour may already have been done — save for an incomprehensible effort over Alpe d’Huez, or misfortune to Pogacar himself.But it is inarguable that the Tour is a poorer race without Vingegaard having the opportunity to try — the man whose rivalry with Pogačar will define this era of cycling, another of the aliens that wears a human face.“I just talked to my family a little bit,” Vingegaard told Danish broadcaster TV2 after crashing. “That was the most important thing for me. We’ve come up with a plan for what’s going to happen now, and I’ve talked to some of the team. It’s no use hanging your head. It just makes it worse.”