"Denmark is not the place to prepare for the Tour" - Jonas Vingegaard's coach provides update on preparation, racing schedule and pre-Tour de France plans
CyclingFriday, 17 May 2024 at 13:42
Jonas Vingegaard suffered multiple and severe injuries in a crash month and a half ago at Itzulia Basque Country. He has since returned to base training in a positive improvement ahead of the Tour de France, and his coach details what is going on behind the scenes at the moment regarding key topics.
"We're dealing with a two-time Tour de France champion. We know these guys are mentally really tough but also can recover really fast," Vingegaard's coach Tim Heemskerk told CyclingWeekly. "At the time of crashing these guys are already really fit, they're not the average athlete... very time the messages we've got are that he's improving so fast."
As is the case with other pro riders, the recovery of the Dane looks quite fast as Team Visma | Lease a Bike take on a full-time effort to bring him up to maximum health and form ahead of the Tour de France. A difficult mission, but one possible, so as to start the race with the real ambition of chasing a third consecutive win with the 27-year old.
"Every day we've been keeping in touch with each other and every day it's going in the direction of maybe doing some normal training again in just a matter of time." But he warns: "You have to remember with this that it's not always going to be a straight line. Maybe some days things will not go in the direction we want. But so far, it looks like every day is going towards improvement."
He has not joined his teammates in an ongoing training camp, understandably. But this does not mean that he will not join his support group before he (if everything goes right) starts the Grand Boucle. "Denmark is not the place to prepare for the Tour. So you have to go in the future, when things are going in the right direction, you have to go ride long climbs."
"Hopefully, he'll be able to join a part of the preparation with all the other riders. We have a team going now to Sierra Nevada preparing and then that team will also go to the Criterium du Dauphine and then to Tignes."
"I really hope we will improve every day so that he's able to join the team in Tignes and be part of a group... I'm positive about these things." Vingegaard will not race the Dauphiné, and most likely will not race at all before the Tour. Similarly to Tadej Pogacar last year; but without the national championships where he wouldn't stand many chances of winning.
"Maybe it's just training all the way and there might be no race. But it will depend also on what the feedback from Jonas will be in the next two to three weeks," he concluded.
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10 Comments
That’s a problem, for skiing not cycling as the Dutch and Danes have shown. Austria has plenty and has problems turning out a decent cyclist (except in ultra) let alone climbers.
Strange, as far as I know, a lot of riders only attend a few altitude camps a year and only for a few weeks at a time, a bit like when people go on holiday. The rest of their preparation they do mostly at home.
Of course, a few may decide they prefer having a base near mountains, when they can afford it.
Still has cold and windy condition regardless! Even with short climbs, Denmark still a good training ground for cold weather racing
Cold weather training is also good for warm weather riding ;-)
Also, in these days where so many do a big part of their build-up indoors and teams resort to “altitude” chambers, it doesn’t really matter where you are.
Don't push him too hard. Better still let his body and mind fully recover and maybe target the Vuelta. There is still 2025 for the tour and Jonas will still be only 28.
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