“I’ve ridden a huge number of races – we could do things in a smarter way" - Jonas Vingegaard echoes wife’s viral Tour de France workload criticisms
Cycling
Jonas Vingegaard has acknowledged the strain of his racing and training schedule in comments that echo the concerns raised by his wife during the 2025 Tour de France, where her interviews about workload, family balance and excessive demands went viral across Denmark.
Speaking as he ramps up his preparations for the new season, the Dane reflected on a year dominated not only by racing but by repeated and lengthy training camps — the very theme that drove Trine Vingegaard Hansen’s high-profile criticism of his schedule in July.
Vingegaard’s comments reflect the themes raised during the Tour storm
During the Tour, Trine gave striking interviews to Politiken and Jyllands-Posten in which she warned that the demands placed on the Team Visma | Lease a Bike leader risked pushing him beyond what was sustainable.
“Knowing Jonas as I do, I’d say the team is pushing him too far now. I’m afraid he’s burning the candle at both ends,” she said at the time, adding that “people sometimes forget the human being behind the athlete – and how to get the best out of him.”
She highlighted how the constant cycle of altitude camps was affecting his ability to reset: “Jonas doesn’t recharge on another three-week altitude camp with the team. He needs to be at home in Denmark, with us, to feel truly himself.”
Her broader point centred on the importance of routine and calm. “He’s deeply attached to his routines. Sometimes he needs to reset in the calmest surroundings possible, just with his family. That’s a huge part of who he is and why he’s successful.”
In Jyllands-Posten, she also expressed frustration that the family learned of his concussion at Paris-Nice through television coverage rather than directly from the team: “Everyone on the team knows we – his family – only heard about it through the television. It’s just bad form not to send a message to let us know he’s okay. I simply can’t understand it.”
Her most pointed reflection came when discussing family life since becoming parents: “In many ways, the countdown to the end of his career began when we had our first child.”
Vingegaard details the scale of his own workload
Months on, Vingegaard’s latest comments highlight similar pressure points — particularly the sheer volume of time he spends away on training camps.
“Some years I’ve been on training camp in December, January, February, May and June. And on top of that, I’ve ridden a huge number of races. So it is pressing the lemon, and it is hard. That’s where I think we could do things in a smarter way,” he says to Ekstra Bladet.
He added that the length of these training blocks is often the hardest part to absorb: “I find it tough personally to be away for three weeks.”
Push for family access to be written into contracts
Vingegaard has also reiterated his view that riders should have the option — formally written into contracts — to bring family members to certain training camps. Crucially, he argues this should not be something reserved for star names.
“Yes, of course. And then on training camps it’s about finding places where you can have the family with you,” he said. “I think it is very individual. Some have no problem leaving their family at home for a long time, while it’s difficult for others.”
With consecutive team camps scheduled in December and January, the Dane enters another season where workload and home life will again sit at the centre of discussion — themes that continue to mirror the concerns Trine first voiced during the Tour.
Kieran WoodDeputy Editor-in-Chief
Kieran Wood is a sports journalist based in Wales and has been active in journalism since 2022. He regularly contributes to DartsNews.com and CyclingUpToDate.com, where he covers professional cycling and darts. In cycling, his work includes liveblogs from major races, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España, alongside race reports and analysis. He has also conducted interviews with professional riders.
His reporting spans the full racing calendar, from one-day classics to stage races, with a focus on accurate, real-time coverage and clear contextual analysis. For statistics, results, and historical context, he regularly uses resources such as ProCyclingStats. To support reporting on rider activity and training context where relevant, he also references Strava.
In his work, Kieran places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles as new, verified information becomes available.
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