“They’re not riding 100% for him... he could probably double his salary if he moved” - But Jonas Vingegaard is warned against leaving Visma
Cycling
Despite mounting questions over Jonas Vingegaard’s level of support within Team Visma | Lease a Bike, former pro turned Eurosport commentator Brian Holm believes the two-time Tour de France champion should resist the temptation to seek greener pastures.
Speaking on the Café Eddy podcast, Holm backed his Danish compatriot and former Maillot Jaune winner Bjarne Riis’s criticism of Visma’s approach during this year’s Tour de France – particularly regarding the lack of full commitment to Vingegaard’s GC ambitions.
“They’re not riding 100% for him. There’s no getting around it – even they admit it,” Holm analysed bluntly. “You’ve got domestiques chasing their own chances. When I look at Visma’s tactics, it’s like watching a dog chase its own tail. They honestly never seem to know quite what’s going on.”
The comments come after a turbulent 2025 Tour de France for the Dutch super team, where co-leaders and stage-hunters appeared to blur tactical clarity. Matteo Jorgenson, Wout van Aert and Simon Yates were all granted freedom to chase stage wins, with two of the three succeeding — but at what cost to Vingegaard’s yellow jersey bid?
Whilst in his criticisma, Riis went so far as to say that the Dane is riding for the wrong team, Holm, however, doesn’t share that conclusion — at least not entirely.
“Personally, I think Visma is the team that suits him best,” Holm argued. “Sure, he could probably double his salary if he moved, but I genuinely believe Visma have cracked the code with Jonas Vingegaard. They understand his mindset — and that, I think, is where he performs at his very best.”
Vingegaard's quest to win the Maillot Jaune fell short at the 2025 Tour de France
A Danish voice in his ear?
Rather than looking for a new team, Holm suggests a more subtle but potentially transformative change: bringing a Danish sports director into Vingegaard’s inner circle during the Tour.
“Instead of switching teams, I think the solution would be to give him a Danish sports director for the Tour de France,” Holm argues. “When you’re in the team car, it’s basically one long argument between two directors over tactics. If you put someone like Jesper Morkov in the service car and let him speak up for Jonas, it would make a big difference. It’s a mental thing – sports directors naturally look out for 'their' riders.”
Morkov, who joined Visma ahead of the 2025 season, has so far focused on the sprint train built around Olav Kooij. But with Kooij reportedly heading to the Decathlon AG2R La Mondiale Team next year, there may be an opportunity for the Danish director to pivot into a more central role within the team’s Grand Tour setup.
Between loyalty and ambition
The analysis puts Vingegaard at the centre of a delicate balancing act: staying loyal to a team that knows how to bring out his best, or seeking a more structured support system — and a potentially eye-watering contract — elsewhere.
As the Tour dust settles and the transfer carousel turns, the feeling, in Denmark at least, is clear. Visma will need to make clear where its priorities lie. If the goal is to win a third Maillot Jaune with Vingegaard, delivering a team that rides 100% for him — and gives him the psychological backing he needs — is non-negotiable.
But for now, Holm’s message is clear: stay the course, but fine-tune the formula.
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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