Vuelta leader Jonas Vingegaard loses injured teammate and team loses stolen bikes

CERES, Italy (AP) – On the morning after Jonas Vingegaard took the leader’s red jersey at the Spanish Vuelta with a stage win, he lost a teammate Monday and his team lost some bicycles that were stolen.

Team Visma-Lease a Bike said police in Italy are investigating the theft of “several bikes” from an equipment truck though it was unclear if Vingegaard will be affected in stage three later Monday.

“Our mechanics are working hard to ensure that the team is fully prepared for the third stage,” the team said in a statement.

Vingegaard will be missing the support of Axel Zingle for the 19 days left in the Vuelta having crashed in the rain-soaked stage Sunday that also caught up the team leader. Vingegaard went on to win with a bloodied elbow, but an injury sustained in the crash has forced Zingle to abandon the entire race.

Visma said “our medical team had to decide that Axel Zingle is not fit enough to continue the Vuelta. His first Grand Tour with the team comes to an early end.”

Monday’s third stage is a 134.6-kilometer (83.6-mile) ride with an uphill finish into Ceres in the Italian Alps north west of Turin.

Vingegaard, a two-time Tour de France winner, is favored to win the Vuelta after this year’s Tour winner Tadej Pogačar and four-time Vuelta winner Primoz Roglic skipped the race.