"I was more exhausted than I have ever been before" - Jonas Vingegaard explains how 2024 Tour de France efforts 'devastated' him physically
Cycling
Few expected Jonas Vingegaard to challenge for the Maillot Jaune following his horror crash at the Itzulia Basque Country earlier this year. Courageously though, the Dane pushed Tadej Pogacar at the 2024 Tour de France, digging deeper into his reserves than he ever had done before.
Although post-Tour de France, Vingegaard raced the Classica San Sebastian and the Tour de Pologne, the lack of action from the Dane did lead to criticism from some. As explained by the man himself though, he quite simply had emptied the tank at the Tour de France, and with the birth of his second child imminent chose to rest up and recover completely, at home with the family.
"I was more exhausted than I have ever been before after this Tour de France," explains Vingegaard in quotes collected by Ekstra Bladet. "It also meant that I had to take more of a break. At first I didn't allow myself to take a break because I had to ride the Tour de Pologne, but then I took it. I had to do that too. I could feel that after the Tour I was riding a lot on the pumps. It was the very last thing I had in me."
"I needed a break. At that time, I tried to continue and race in Poland as well. It went well, but I was far from my normal level there," he continues. "I had a bit of a down period because I was so tired and exhausted. I had spent so much energy getting ready for the Tour, so it's normal for there to be a period afterwards when I'm completely exhausted and devastated."
The World Championships were again absent from Vingegaard's calendar in 2024, with rival Pogacar completing a historic victory in Zurich. "I've really just taken it nice and easy. I've needed that break. In relation to the World Championships, it wasn't because I went on maternity leave. It was because I was so exhausted after the season I've had," the Dane concludes.
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Those injuries, an ability to manage pain and push himself, probably a load of TUEs to help him get back from an awful moment, and competing that hard without the long exercise base that was the norm - no wonder he was exhausted. We’ve now had two consecutive seasons of the second place rider having an injury that interrupts training, and it shows to what level their bodies are tuned for the insane task of winning the Tour. I certainly hope both (and their teams!) are healthy next year. It would be a first, after 4 years.
you was so exhausted, ok, then why to ride third-class races immediately after the Tour? do a mix of rest, relax and soft-medium training in your family environment and after the birth of your baby, a month of full, intense training for the world championship! prestigious and suitable race for you (even MAS did well). Sometimes I don't understand Jonas's calendar.
Yes, please tell us based on your superior expertise about why JVs training and race schedule is wrong 🧐
First of all, calm, this is a site to share point of views, doubts, intuitions about cycling. Let's think about it: if someone tells you that he is very tired but is going to run unimportant races immediately, ignoring a world championship much further away in time that would give him the opportunity to rest, there is something very contradictory. Maybe it is fair, but as a simple spectator I (and many others) do not understand it, it does not make sense.
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- Yep I think he must still be recovering from that crash last year. He has done well to get over that, but I would bet it will take some time yet to get back to peak pre-crash fitness. This latest "off" will not have helped.Cyclingsbestfan17-03-2025
- Doesn't mean anything. In 2023 he was only 3rd at Paris-Nice but then won the toursomeeffingname17-03-2025
- MSR is the race that brings the Spring', proper for better or worse...
leedorney17-03-2025 - Not sure that’s the whole story otherwise babies would be a lit more susceptible to nose bacteria too. Obviously cyclist breathe far more than average humans which should help keep things cleaner, on the other hand if you don’t clean your nose well or use an infected finger … and then why bacteria and not viruses? I would prepare mentally for more testing if this doesn’t solve things. Teeth and gums are the most overlooked entry point for infectious agents. Ears and eyes can also be easily contaminated.Mistermaumau17-03-2025
- Yeah, sorry, some people forget a few facts like him being in a similar age category as Tadej, Jonas, Remco, Tom and that there are plenty of promising younger riders developing too so it’s really quite far-fetched based on current givens.Mistermaumau17-03-2025
- If they learnt from 2024 MVDP/JP strategy, yes, possibleMistermaumau17-03-2025
- Name another race with 20 different winners in the last 30 years. This is probably the single most influential fact that points towards Tadej, or will it be Mads, or a « newcomer »?Mistermaumau17-03-2025
- Nobody asked you and you have very little future prediction precedent. 20 years ago no-one predicted Slovenian cycling domination, Tadej, Trump, Manchester United replaced by City, the recent serial UK Tory leadership or the drastic demise of German Olympic performance. Unfortunately JJ probably won’t be around much longer so can’t be held « accountable » if wrong.Mistermaumau17-03-2025
- Also, note how fast a counter article appeared, either naturally or as part of a comm. strategyMistermaumau17-03-2025
- Not sure, remember where he is saying it and what this person did for him. Perhaps he was coaxed into saying something to stimulate US interest or provocative to improve you know who’s media significance.Mistermaumau17-03-2025