Jonas Vingegaard hits back at criticism from Bernard Hinault: "You don't consider what happened to me this year"

Bernard Hinault, the last French winner of the Tour de France (back in the 1980's) is a well respected voice in the peloton however a comment that he had on Jonas Vingegaard did not fall gracefully. The Dane, who had a massive challenge to return to racing after a brutal set of injuries, did not like the Frenchman's assumption and responded accordingly.

Hinault had questions whether Vingegaard enjoys racing and the Tour de France as much as his rivals Tadej Pogacar who race more lively and aggressively usually. "When you say something like that, maybe you don't consider what happened to me this year," Vingegaard said in words to EkstraBladet.

"It's obvious that if I hadn't had that crash, I would have competed in more cycling races. That's the way it is. I don't think he thinks about the consequences for me, which is that I crashed and then had to prepare for the Tour de France". 

Vingegaard took those statements rather personally taking into consideration how badly he was injured in the fall he suffered at Itzulia Basque Country. He then fractured a collarbone, several ribs and a punctured lung. His Tour de France was seriously put to question and because of these injuries, he decided not to race before the Tour so that he would have a consistent and fully training-focused preparation for the Grand Boucle.

This is part of being a pro cyclist, who regularly faces injuries, illnesses or personal issues that prevent him from doing the planned schedule, is the point of the Dane. "A cycling year is about giving and taking and dealing with the availabilities," he added. "With that crash, I don't think you can expect me to be at my best for the rest of the season. I also don't think he knows how bad it was. I think many underestimate what it took to prepare for the Tour de France."

After racing the Tour de France and having some rest, Vingegaard resumed racing at the Clásica San Sebastián and then the Tour de Pologne where he won the overall classification, ending his season there as he travelled back home for the birth of his child. He has since began training for the 2025 season in late October, focused on closing the gap that opened to Tadej Pogacar in the mountains this year.