"They don’t quite see Jonas as a big enough star" - Danish icon agrees with criticism of Visma from Jonas Vingegaard's wife
Cycling
The wife of Jonas Vingegaard sent the cycling world into a frenzy last weekend, when in a pair of box-office interviews in the Danish press, she publicly criticised Team Visma | Lease a Bike's handling of her husband.
It's fair to say that the interviews with Politiken and Jyllands-Posten from Trine Vingegaard Hansen have been widely questioned, with especially their timing being criticised and the claim made that it could actually prove a distraction for Vingegaard's quest to reclaim the Maillot Jaune at the 2025 Tour de France.
One of the points made by Trine, was Team Visma | Lease a Bike's perceived lack of support given to Vingegaard on some stages, as riders such as Wout van Aert are given the freedom go for stage wins and their own goals. “If you’re also going for stage wins with other riders, then those efforts can’t be used to support Jonas,” she said.
On this point at least, Trine Vingegaard can count Danish cycling icon Brian Holm as a supporter. Holm, who rode 7 Tours de France as a rider before adjusting to a sports director role at Soudal - Quick-Step and more recently a commentary role for Eurosport, agree with Vingegaard's wife that Visma could and should do more to fully support their team leader.
“This isn’t new. I’ve been saying it for three years. They always claim they’re going for both stage wins and the GC with Vingegaard. They’ve always done that. And I’ve never been comfortable with it,” Holm notes in his analysis of the 2025 Tour de France for Eurosport, comparing Visma's treatment of Vingegaard to UAE Team Emirates - XRG's treatment of Tadej Pogacar. “You don’t see that happening at UAE. There it’s all about Pogacar, Pogacar, Pogacar. And personally, I prefer that approach.”
“They can’t seem to decide, and maybe it’s because they don’t quite see Jonas as a big enough star. Sometimes, when you try to do both things, you end up doing neither,” Holm continues, referencing the split loyalties of Visma to a number of their riders.
“The day he’s alone, with teammates either up the road or worn out from chasing stage wins the day before, it’s going to hurt. If Matteo Jorgenson also starts attacking in the mountains, you basically won’t have a team left,” concludes the Dane. “We’ve seen this before. They claim those riders are ‘satellites’, but it’s pretty clear when they’re chasing stage wins instead of protecting their leader.”
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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- guess what Valgren, you're 34, and no you're not good enough. sorry to say.mij14-11-2026
- I'm a sepp fan and like to think he earned that LOL, indulge me : ) I think Jonas was fine. Roglic did not want to concede to Sepp. and I don't think you ever attack your own teammate in the leaders jersey if he is holding his own, which Sepp just about was.mij14-11-2026
- enough time? he's 24 years old. He's won 10 races over the last 2 years and some are significant. I won't argue about his attitude being good - it needs to improve. But with some coaching and mentorship he has a lot of winning ahead of him and has plenty of time to win a GT. I don't think he will ever beat Tadej, but everyone else is fair game Look at Mas and Valverde - they were 31 and 29, respectively, when they won the Vuelta.mij14-11-2026
- Pogacar has a fine head on his shoulders.Careful investments and a couple of coffee shops sounds like a wonderful way to chill after an intense career.Stay healthy GOAT.
Brucegel14-11-2026 - I live in Maribor.PogiSloFans14-11-2026
- I live in Ljubljana and often go on trips in the surrounding area, where I frequently see young cyclists in 'Pogi Team' jerseys training, either alone or in groups. By simply motivating so many young people to take up cycling, Tadej has already achieved something truly significant.Velijo14-11-2026
- That's an excellent point. It's interesting that Vader came to that realization only after he learned that his contract wasn't going to be renewed.
santiagobenites14-11-2026 - Indeed! A reluctant gift maybe. Even more reluctant gift from Roglic! Tho I can’t see that Rog would have beaten Ving anyway.Lozza14-11-2026
- That really nasty crash in 2022 Liege must have played a big part - broken ribs, pneumothorax. You only have to look at his points tallies pre and post.Lozza14-11-2026
- Yeah, good luck getting tv and race organisers like ASO etc to part with their cash!Lozza14-11-2026
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