“I get along well with Jonas” – Danish head coach prepares Jonas Vingegaard for European Championships bid

Whilst Tadej Pogacar and Remco Evenepoel went head-to-head in both the time trial and the road race at the World Championships in Kigali, Jonas Vingegaard was a notable absentee. The Dane, fresh from his Vuelta a Espana triumph, chose to stay home rather than travel to Rwanda. But this Sunday in France, the Team Visma | Lease a Bike leader will line up at the European Road Championships to face off against his two great rivals.

National coach Michael Morkov explained the advantages of his close connection with the two-time Tour de France winner and three time runner up. “I know Jonas a little from the peloton and even had a good correspondence with him when we raced together,” Mørkøv told Feltet.

That connection runs deeper, thanks to family ties. Michael’s brother Jesper is Vingegaard’s team manager at Visma, and so there is already a bond there. “I get along well with Jonas,” Michael said. “But it's a huge advantage that I can discuss Jonas with my brother, who was recently his team manager in the Vuelta. This way, he can share information about Jonas that is useful to me in my role as national coach.”

The coach likened the situation to the relationships other teams enjoy with their star riders. “It's a bit like if I called Kim Andersen (team director at Lidl-Trek) and talked about Skjelmose or Mads Pedersen. It might be to hear how they started, or how they could be approached. So, of course, it's a huge advantage that we (Jesper and Michael Mørkøv) have family blood.”

That cooperation extends beyond race strategy. “Jesper also helps with preparing Jonas's equipment. That's part of the whole logistics process. It's fantastic that I have someone I know on Jonas's cycling team, so I don't have to arrange things with strangers,” Michael added.