Visma reveal good news on Vingegaard's Paris-Nice injury: "I don’t see any problems in the long term"

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.