Two-time defending champion Vingegaard to ride in Tour de France
"The Danish two-time Tour winner has recovered enough from his crash in the Tour of the Basque Country to fight for a good result," read a team statement.
Vingegaard, 27, 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 on April 4.
He was back on a bike a month later and said he feels confident enough to be on the start line for the June 29 to July 21 race which begins in Florence, Italy.
"I am excited to start the Tour. The last few months have not always been easy, but I thank my family and Team Visma-Lease a Bike for their unwavering support," he said in a team statement.
"We have worked together to get to this moment, and of course, I am very excited to see where I stand. I feel good and very motivated."
Sporting director Merijn Zeeman said thoughts of a third successive overall yellow jersey should be put on hold given the seriousness of the injuries Vingegaard suffered.
"I am very proud of Jonas and the coaching team," he said.
"He is coming back from a serious injury.
"In the last few weeks, he has shown what a champion he is, both mentally and physically. Of course, we don't know how far he can go yet.
"We are being cautious because he has not been able to race, and his preparation has been less than ideal, to say the least. But he will be there, healthy and motivated."
Vingegaard will be joined on the team by former Tour stage winner and three-time world cyclo-cross champion Wout van Aert, who is also coming back from injury after sustaining a broken collarbone, sternum and ribs as well as damaging a lung in the one-day Around Flanders race on March 27.
"Of course, this was not the plan initially, but after my development in the last weeks, I really wanted it, and the team agreed," Belgian Van Aert said.
"Our main goal is, of course, to ride a top classification with Jonas. I want to contribute to that with an excellent team," the 29-year-old added.
The Visma lineup will also include Spanish Vuelta champion Sepp Kuss, Paris-Nice winner Matteo Jorgenson and experienced riders Jan Tratnik and Wilco Kelderman.
Vingegaard's main competitor for Tour victory will be Slovenian Tadej Pogacar, who won in 2020 and 2021. Between them the pair have taken the top two places in each of the last three years.
