"He prefers peace and quiet to money" - Holm compares Jonas Vingegaard and Tadej Pogacar's off-the-bike status
Cycling
Rivalries are what fuels sport to a whole different level and over the 2020's, pro cycling has seen two riders stand out from the rest when it comes to the Grand Tours: Tadej Pogacar and Jonas Vingegaard. This rivalry is further accentuated by the duo's difference in personality and off-the-bike living, which is outlined by former sports director Brian Holm.
"On paper, he should also be living in Monaco and evading taxes. And starring in a Rolex commercial. But he doesn't want that either," Brian Holm said to Ekstra Bladet regarding Jonas Vingegaard. "Most others would break their arm to be in such a commercial." The Dane, through his results - which include two Tour de France titles and much more - earns one of the largest salaries in the pro peloton, estimated to be between 4 and 5 million euros. It is no match for what Tadej Pogacar earns at UAE Team Emirates - XRG as the face of the sport, but Holm argues that this is not an issue.
Vingegaard is a father of two and over the year has often shown to be a rather introvert rider, who enjoys more his time off the spotlight when he is not in competition. He has also not moved into tax havens such as Monaco or Andorra; or to the Spanish Mediterranean coast - in this case mostly for the good weather, as did most other top riders in recent years.
"He doesn't wear a Richard Mille watch either. He doesn't really care. He might as well tell the time on a Casio. I just find it charming". Holm, a compatriot and man that knows Vingegaard quite well, praises the 29-year olds way of living and priorities. "That his family is doing well, that he's safe, and that he doesn't have too many obligations when he's not working. Jonas earns more money than most people will earn in a lifetime, but he seems very relaxed about it. He prefers peace and quiet to money."
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Peace and quiet over money
Whilst Pogacar can't ordinarily fall under any criticism over the difference in lifestyle, it is an interesting observation on how two very different personalities have managed to climb to the top of the sport in their own very specific ways, and their rivalry has also led to the creation of the major rivalry between Team Visma | Lease a Bike and UAE Team Emirates - XRG that has fueled the past few years in the three-week races.
"I just don't think money drives him. I don't think he cares. I actually find it very endearing—it's hard not to like that he prefers living in Denmark and paying taxes. Even though he could earn twice as much in Monaco. He has a Volvo, he doesn't show up everywhere... He has no interest in watching Formula 1 races and being seen with the stars... That's just the way he is," Holm describes. "I just don't think he's interested".
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Rúben SilvaEditor-in-Chief
A founding contributor to CyclingUpToDate since its launch in January 2022, Ruben Silva has played a central role in shaping the site’s editorial direction and long-term growth. Before joining the project, he built his experience through independent blogging at Echelons Hub and by producing race previews for Ciclismo Internacional, developing a strong analytical voice rooted in daily engagement with professional cycling.
Beyond editorial work, he has been closely involved in the expansion and coordination of CyclingUpToDate’s wider network, helping establish and support sister platforms across multiple languages. This includes ongoing collaboration with CiclismoAlDia (Spanish), CiclismoAtual (Portuguese), WielrennenUpToDate (Dutch), and RadsportAktuell (German), contributing to a shared editorial vision and consistent international coverage.
He also helps oversee editorial governance across the network, setting standards for accuracy and consistency and coordinating updates or corrections when needed.
Originally from the Porto metropolitan area in Portugal, he holds a bachelor’s degree in Geography. His path into cycling journalism was shaped not through formal media training, but through independent reporting, community engagement, and sustained on-the-ground involvement in the sport.
Over the course of his career, he has conducted approximately 100 interviews across road cycling and cyclocross, ranging from one-to-one conversations and online formats to press conferences and on-site pre- and post-race coverage. His interviews include leading riders, team managers, and prominent figures within cycling media: Tadej Pogacar, Jonas Vingegaard, Mathieu van der Poel, Primoz Roglic, Wout van Aert, Joao Almeida and Tom Pidcock; managers like Patrick Lefevere and Joxean Matxin; and YouTube personality Bryan Kennedy (BKXC)...
Within 18 months of launch, he helped grow CyclingUpToDate’s English-language platform into one of the most-read cycling news websites, built entirely from the ground up. As both a professional journalist and lifelong cycling enthusiast, his focus remains on delivering accurate, timely, and well-contextualized coverage.
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- Great response! I love the article also. Interesting to see which "Legends" will be covered. There are a few out there :-)
DareDevil11-11-2026 - This is one of the reasons why Ineos is failing, G can comment on his pod but why has he not attracted talent from the peloton to Ineos. He has lot of inside track. Also ratcliffe handling of Man United is also disastrous.abstractengineer11-11-2026
- Theirs a few on the team who may be able to step up/progress to Grand Tour wins but that'll come, not in '27 tho 🤷 - Roglic mayve appealed on a 2 yr for immediate results but other riders would be set aside and the existing riders wouldn't like that
leedorney11-11-2026 - Hey @santiagobenites, that's why @leedorney is wrong. He doesn't see the bigger picture.PogiSloFans11-11-2026
- the rot started in 2022 with Bernal's accident Signings- Just super helpers and non winners. Foss GC Leaders - Reliance on injured Bernal and retiring G Talents - On domestique duty dont learn how to win. Sprinters - No top Sprinter signed Tactics- Outdated Save the leader, trains. Just money badly spent even though there were opportunitiesabstractengineer11-11-2026
- Whole team is a mess. They don't have any really top tier "podium lock" GT riders, and they don't really have a solid classics block. Just a bunch of spare parts. I don't know why any rider would go for them either. Feels like old mate with the money is likely to pull out at any given moment, and that doesn't bode well for their ability to jack up their budget and say "let's buy half a dozen shit-hot talents to ride support/lead our team" - which is what they probably need to do to get competitive again.wrsty11-11-2026
- Pogi is a Goat. He has power numbers that are once in a century. Jonas is a once in a generation, He has power numbers 1 level lower than Pogi. Even if both are equal which they were before 2024, Pogi would have won on sprint bonuses. For Jonas to win he has to crack Pogi, which is impossible. Therefore Giro is a good option considering the TT in TDF. He cannot win but if something happens to Pogi , he should be still in a position to win the TDF, Giro or no Giro, because the others are a level below him.abstractengineer11-11-2026
- for what?frieders311-11-2026
- Blah blah blah!frieders311-11-2026
- Where Merckx just rode every single race he could and won all the time, Hinault won less often (percentage wise) because he was more judicious in what he raced. His palmares are nuts. He had amazing rivals, one to start his career and another to end it in the grand tours. His classics were solid. What sets him apart from Merckx and Pogačar are that he basically dabbled in the classics while the other two love(d) them. I used to compare Pogačar to Hinault for his grand tour record and occasional classics win, until I realized that the comparison was wrong. Pogačar loves the classics - ah, the memory of his reaction to finishing fourth in a 2 person sprint in Flanders in ‘22: utter domination in any one day race since then, even when he doesn’t win. Hinault lived for the grand tours and I don’t think anyone else will ever reach his record. 10 wins in 13 attempts? Good lord. An amazing rider. Wish there was more footage to watch.RidesHills11-11-2026
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