Jonas Vingegaard’s campaign at Paris-Nice came to an abrupt
halt last week following a crash that forced him to abandon the race. It was a
frustrating setback for Team Visma | Lease a Bike, but in his absence, Matteo
Jorgenson rose to the occasion, securing his second consecutive overall victory
at the prestigious stage race.
Speaking to De Telegraaf, Visma’s head of racing,
Grischa Niermann, provided an update on Vingegaard’s condition. Fortunately,
the Danish rider escaped serious injury, suffering only a bruised hand. “We have to wait and see, but I don’t see any problems in the long term. His
tears were mainly due to the enormous disappointment that he couldn’t
continue,” Niermann explained.
Despite concerns over Vingegaard’s recent crashes, including
his heavy fall at the Tour of the Basque Country last year, Niermann dismissed
any notion that the incidents have left the two-time Tour de France champion
mentally shaken. “I don’t think what happened last year is a factor or that
Jonas is now mentally broken,” he said. “We want our cyclists to stay on their
bikes, but in practice, that’s not always possible. Unfortunately, crashes are
part of cycling, and Jonas knows that too.”
While Vingegaard’s recovery takes priority, the team is
shifting its focus to the upcoming
Milano-Sanremo, where
Olav Kooij will be
Visma’s key contender especially considering Wout van Aert is sitting this one out.
The young Dutch sprinter has shown promise in grueling
races, and Niermann is optimistic about his chances. “Olav is a very good
sprinter who still has something left after a tough race,” he said.
However, Kooij faces formidable competition in the first
Monument of the season, with the likes of Mathieu van der Poel, Tadej Pogacar,
Filippo Ganna, and Mads Pedersen all lining up. Niermann acknowledges the
challenge ahead but remains confident in Kooij’s ability to deliver a strong
performance. “If we can drop him on the Via Roma, then I think he has a very
good chance of winning,” he stated.
That said, Visma’s ambitions at Milano-Sanremo hinge on
navigating the critical climbs of the Cipressa and Poggio. “He is in very good
shape, but we also know that the peloton must first survive those climbs. You
know that something always happens there, so it is certainly not the case that
we think Olav is just going to put everyone on it,” Niermann added.