Michael Rasmussen slams “bizarre” Visma silence after amateur cyclist breaks news of Jonas Vingegaard training return in chance encounter
Cycling
Jonas Vingegaard’s return to training emerged in unusual fashion. Months after the Tour de France crash that ended his season, a British amateur cyclist happened to encounter the Dane while riding in Mallorca and revealed on Instagram that the Team Visma | Lease a Bike star had overtaken him.
The sighting provided a rare public glimpse of Vingegaard’s recovery after a largely quiet period since his fractured collarbone brought his Tour to an end on 19 July.
Michael Rasmussen believes Visma could have handled that return to the road rather differently.
“There are an incredible number of people who are interested in seeing that he is cycling in Mallorca,” the former Danish Tour de France contender said on Viaplay programme TV-udbruddet. “It is bizarre that we found out through a post from an English amateur cyclist. It would have been more natural for it to have come out in a more structured way.”
Months out of the public eye
Vingegaard had initially kept the World Championships in Montreal open as a possible late-season target after his Tour crash, but his recovery ultimately ruled out any return to racing in 2026.
Visma confirmed in August that the injury had delayed the restart of his training sufficiently for the team and rider to turn their attention completely towards 2027.
That did not stop further comeback speculation. Reports later suggested Vingegaard could potentially appear at the European Championships or Il Lombardia, only for Visma sports director Jesper Morkov to dismiss them emphatically.
“You shouldn’t believe everything you read,” Morkov said at the time, urging people to “remember to read serious media” before confirming there was “nothing” to the comeback rumours.
No late-season return followed. By the beginning of October, however, Vingegaard was back riding in Mallorca as preparations for next season began.
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Attention turns towards 2027
Vingegaard said when his season was ended that he would discuss his 2027 goals with Visma once the immediate recovery period was behind him, but no full race programme has yet been announced.
One ambition has already emerged. Denmark national coach Michael Morkov recently revealed that the 2027 World Championships in Sallanches have been discussed with Vingegaard for several years.
The elite men’s road race will feature around 5,700 metres of climbing and 20 ascents of the Côte de Domancy, potentially offering Vingegaard a route to his first elite Worlds appearance after spending his senior career away from the championship.
Whether that becomes part of his programme will be decided alongside his wider Grand Tour ambitions.
For now, the Mallorca encounter answers one question that had remained largely hidden since July: Vingegaard is back on the road. Visma are yet to reveal when that return will lead him back to a start line.
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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