![Copy of Vingegaard-1723999539659](https://imagevars.gulfnews.com/2024/08/18/Copy-of-Vingegaard-1723999539659_191666151f1_medium.jpg)
Kraksw: Jonas Vingegaard avoided any final day mishaps to complete victory in the Tour of Poland on Sunday less than a month after his runner-up spot in the Tour de France.
The Dane, who took command of the race on Tuesday, finished safely in the peloton behind stage seven winner Olav Kooij, his Visma-Lease a Bike teammate, who claimed the final day honours in a sprint finish.
This was 27-year-old Vingegaard’s third stage race success of a season marked by the serious injuries he sustained in the Tour of the Basque Country in April.
He had a 13-second cushion in the final overall standings in Poland from UAE Team Emirates’ Diego Ulissi with another Visma teammate Wilco Kelderman 20sec behind.
Kooij added to the stage win he had secured earlier in the week by denying Tim Merlier and Gerben Thijssen in a dash for the line after the closing flat ride from Wieliczka to Krakow.
This was his seventh stage win in all this season, including one on his grand tour debut in the Giro d’Italia.
Vingegaard in contrast won the race despite not taking a stage, with his second place in Tuesday’s time trial serving as the cornerstone to his overall win.
In April, Vingegaard was hospitalised after breaking ribs and a collarbone as well as damaging a lung in a mass crash on the Tour of the Basque Country.
He was back on a bike a month later and recovered in time to try to defend the Tour de France title he won in 2022 and 2023.
Despite putting up an admirable performance he had to settle for second best to Slovenia’s Tadej Pogacar.