Ex-pro would've preferred to see Jonas Vingegaard withdraw immediately after his Paris-Nice crash: "There's nothing wrong if you stop and take two weeks off"

Neither this year will see Jonas Vingegaard have a smooth sail through his Tour de France preparation. As much as already clear when the Dane was forced to abandon Paris-Nice, but things got gloomier when tests revealed a small concussion on top of the hand injury. This puts the two-time Tour champion back two weeks in training.

In Wieler Revue, Jip van den Bos talks about the period after suffering a concussion which ultimately forced her to withdraw from cycling: "It was difficult for me, but I felt supported by my team Jumbo-Visma (now Team Visma | Lease a Bike, ed.). Only the cycling world couldn't really help me. Usually you're back after two weeks, but in cycling it's quite common for a concussion to last longer."

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The Eurosport analyst and commentator knows how difficult it is to make a decision in a race, but watched Jonas Vingegaard in Paris-Nice with mixed feelings. The Dane continued riding after a crash, while he was dizzy. It was later determined that he indeed had a slight concussion and that he had to stay off the bike longer than hoped.

Van den Bos: "It's difficult during a race. In my opinion, the responsibility then lies with the rider. You shouldn't want it yourself. When I hear that, I think: you're taking so much on yourself. If you stop and take two weeks off, then there's nothing wrong. But by continuing to ride, you take the risk that it will continue to play a role."

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"I can say: that risk is simply not worth it. Just get out. One race is nothing compared to a year of rehabilitation," she expresses. "It's because of my own experience, but I just think it's stupid to keep riding."

UCI addressed the issue recently by putting a concussion protocol into its rulebook, however it often remains complicated to apply in practice. "The UCI has developed cards with questions that you as team management have to ask after a crash. Only then can a rider continue. In itself a good idea, but often you crash, grab your bike and are gone before the team manager gets to you."

Van den Bos points out that riders need to think about their own health first. Especially in crashes where head may have been hurt. "That awareness must lie with the rider. He must think: I don't want to get off if I'm dizzy, because I don't want to take the risk of having long-term complaints."

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