Jonas Vingegaard said he was happy just to be at the start of the Tour de France after a major crash in the Ituriá Basque Country in early April that punctured his lung and broke numerous ribs.

He first opened up about the crash and its consequences on the eve of the Tour de France in Florence.

The two-time Tour de France winner is still the leader of the Visma Lease-a-Bike team and is quietly ambitious but also realistic about the possibility of a third consecutive Tour de France victory.

"I'm just happy to be on the start line of the Tour de France. I think that in itself is a victory. I'm very happy right now and I'm looking forward to the race," he said, often repeating his thoughts in defense of a series of questions about his physical and mental condition.

"I want to get the best possible result at GC. But to be honest, it was a very, very bad crash, so I'm very happy just to be here and that's a victory in itself. Everything from here is a bonus."

Vingegaard sat center stage in the Congress Hall of the Palazzo Vecchio in Florence, where the mayor normally sits. To his left sat Wout Van Aert and to his right Matteo Jorgenson, already serving as protector and trusted wingman in a race with Tadej Pogachar, former teammate Primoš Roglic, Remko Evenpor, and many others!

Visma Lease-a-Bike lost Sepp Kuss due to COVID-19, but Jorgenson confirmed that he would remain in a support role.

It was noted that Vingegaard did not say "victory" when talking about his Tour de France hopes. There is a reason for that.

"Honestly, I don't know," he said. I might have to fight to hang on in the early part of the race, and then later in the race I'll find my usual level. We will find out in the next few days."

Isolated from the media and the cycling world after his crash, Vingegaard spent two weeks in the hospital, and in June he and his teammates went to a high-altitude training camp in the French Alps, which was far from ideal preparation for the Tour de France.

"I did a lot of work, a lot of good work. But the crash was so bad that everything from here on was like a bonus. Of course, we hope it will be, and it's just the beginning.

"After the crash I had to take a long break. I had a lot of injuries that had to heal before I could train properly. It's one thing to be able to ride out there, it's another to be able to train properly. It was mostly about making it in time for the Tour de France."

Vingegaard's wife and young daughter again played an important role in his return in time for the Tour. They accompanied him to the team presentation on Thursday evening and will stay with him during the race.

"They have been by my side not only for the last three months, but for the whole time. Now they are here with me too.

"I hope what we have done together pays off. We'll see in the next three weeks."

Wingegaard admitted that he had to fight pain in order to balance physical recovery and training for the Tour.

"In those situations, instead of feeling sorry for yourself, you just think about fighting back. And that's what I did, and that's what my family and I have been doing for the past three months.

"It's a race that means a lot, not just to me, but to all three of us. So I'm happy that everyone has supported me and got me to the start line.

"Of course, if I hadn't fallen over, I would definitely have said I was here to win. But things have changed. I still have hope that I am at least strong enough to fight for victory. But I guess we will find out in the next three weeks."

Unlimited access to all Tour de France information - including breaking news and analysis of each stage of the race by local journalists. More info.