'We had no plan B' – Visma-Lease a Bike faces Tour de France without Vingegaard

Visma-Lease a Bike faced a challenging moment after the departure of their leader Jonas Vingegaard from the Tour de France. Following his crash and abandonment on stage 15, the remaining seven riders found themselves in mourning. Vingegaard, who had broken his collarbone in the incident, was taken away in an ambulance, exacerbating the team's woes.

Despite the setback, the team recognized the necessity to adapt and strategize for the remaining seven stages. Vingegaard's crash occurred with just over 20 km left in the race, just when hopes were high for a strong performance as they had set up for him the entire stage leading to the Plateau de Solaison. The day had promised excitement but ultimately ended in disappointment for the squad that had already been impacted by Wout van Aert's injuries prior to the race.

"What is there to say? I don't have much other than it's gutting. We're on stage 15, and we had no plan B; we were really all in with Jonas, believed in it, and I thought it was beautiful," expressed U.S. rider Matteo Jorgenson, reflecting on the team's disheartening prospects.

Vingegaard's exit marked the first time he did not finish a Grand Tour, which added to the surprise of his crash, considering his track record of finishing either first or second in eight of his previous nine three-week races. His previous triumph at the Giro d'Italia had finalized his pursuit of Grand Tour victories.

Despite losing their primary goal, team director Marc Reef offered insights on how the team could move forward. "At this moment it's way too early. We have a rest day tomorrow. This evening, we just need to settle this in and then from there, tomorrow we look further to the upcoming success," said Reef. He reflected on past scenarios where their team rallied even after losing key riders, noting that in 2021 they found success after Primoz Roglic's exit, and in 2022, despite another setback, they had riders like Robert Gesink nearly winning stages.

With Victor Campenaerts and Sepp Kuss, both former Tour de France stage winners, the team still retained depth. Their first opportunity to claim a victory would come in the upcoming individual time trial on Tuesday.