Denmark's twice Tour de France champion Jonas Vingegaard is back riding outside for the first time since his crash last month, and is hopeful of defending his title, the Team Visma-Lease a Bike rider said on Tuesday.

Vingegaard won the last two editions of the Tour de France, but his participation was in doubt after suffering a broken collarbone and several broken ribs during the Tour of the Basque Country.

"This is the first time back on the bike for me, riding outside, and it's really nice to be able to ride like normal again," Vingegaard said in a video on social media platform X.

"Of course, I hope to be there at the start of the Tour de France, we don't know exactly how my shape and how my recovery will go, but I will do everything I can to get there in my top shape."

The Tour de France begins on June 29 in Florence, Italy, and ends on July 21 in Nice. REUTERS