In a stunning display of determination and resilience, defending Tour de France champion Jonas Vingegaard has made an astounding comeback after a life-threatening crash just 87 days ago. Despite suffering a collapsed lung, broken ribs, and a fractured collarbone, Vingegaard has defied the odds and is now hot on the heels of race leader Tadej Pogačar.

Only 54 days had passed since Vingegaard mounted a bicycle for the first time since his harrowing accident. At the time, the thought of competing for a third Tour de France title seemed out of the question. However, on stage 2 of the race, Vingegaard's remarkable comeback reached new heights as he effortlessly followed Pogačar's searing attack on the challenging slopes of the Côte de San Luca.

Pogačar's aggressive move earned him the coveted yellow jersey, but Vingegaard, along with Remco Evenepoel and Richard Carapaz, crossed the finish line just 21 seconds behind. This impressive performance allowed them to gain significant time over other Tour de France contenders like Primož Roglič.

Expressing his satisfaction, Vingegaard shared his surprise at his own performance, stating, "I think this went way better than I ever expected, so I'm really satisfied. That I was able to follow Tadej on the second climb of San Luca... I think this is probably one of the stages we feared the most, or we actually expected me to lose time."

Despite acknowledging his limited preparation time for the race, Vingegaard remained optimistic about his progress thus far. "Honestly speaking, I didn't have a good preparation for this race. I only had one and a half months to prepare, probably, so I think I can be super happy with how everything is going so far."

During the intense stage, Vingegaard and Pogačar exchanged words after the initial attack when Vingegaard chose not to pull through. Explaining his strategy, Vingegaard said, "He wanted me to pull on the kicker there, but I waited until the top of that one because otherwise I knew he'd attack me again. And then from that moment, I started working with him and tried to get some time on all the other competitors."

Vingegaard's outstanding performance also solidified his position as the team leader, with Paris-Nice winner Matteo Jorgenson finishing 21 seconds behind after a fall during the stage. Team director Merijn Zeeman made it clear that Vingegaard's achievements were being recognized, stating, "With Jonas, we have a double winner of the Tour, so everyone is working for him."

Fortunately, Jorgenson and Wout van Aert, who also suffered a crash due to a hole in the road, escaped major injuries, with Vingegaard expressing relief that his teammates were only left with minor scratches.

As the Tour de France continues, all eyes will be on Jonas Vingegaard as he defies the odds and continues his extraordinary comeback in pursuit of a third victory.