"We wondered if he had been training at all since Vuelta": Danish journalist asks Vingegaard to stick to Grand Tours

What promised to be a new display of talent of the double Tour de France winner Jonas Vingegaard at the European Cycling Championships turned into an unexpected disappointment. The Danish cyclist, who arrived in France with medal aspirations, abandoned his ambitions just halfway into the race, unable to keep up with the pace of the favorites.

The bewilderment was immediate among both the fans and the Danish media. Eurosport journalist Anders Mielke, present at the race, did not hide his surprise: "I was in shock. We were wondering, with all due respect, if Jonas had trained since the Vuelta," he said.

From the early stages of the race, Vingegaard showed signs of weakness. According to Mielke, Jonas himself confessed to his teammate, Mattias Skjelmose, that he wasn't feeling well. "Skjelmose tried to motivate him, he told him it was normal not to feel good in the first hours of a classic. But it didn't work," the reporter explained.

Vingegaard ended up losing contact with a peloton of more than 70 riders after an acceleration by the Belgian duo Steff Cras & Junior Lecerf. Not even the top-10 candidates. A disconcerting scene considering the high standards the Dane has set in recent seasons.

Although Vingegaard has shined in the Grand Tours - winner of two Tours and a Vuelta - single-day races remain his unfinished business. In Denmark, there was cautious optimism for his performance at the European, especially after positive signs during previous training.

"From the Danish national team they claimed that Jonas was flying in preparation. He had shown more explosiveness than ever," said Mielke. However, that promise did not materialize in competition.

For Mielke, Vingegaard's underperformance goes beyond the physical. He suggests that his personality and racing style are better suited to stage races: "Jonas is not a risk-taker. He needs a plan, clear references, sport directors guiding him from the car... things that don't exist at the European or World Championships," he said.

Classics preparation does not appear to be in the 28-year-old's plans. In fact, Mielke confirmed that Vingegaard will not race the Ardennes next year, as he plans an ambitious Giro-Tour double. And he may not stop there.

"Why not do the Vuelta as well?" asks Mielke. The idea is not far-fetched: as the journalist revealed, Vingegaard's wife, Trine, expressed in an interview her dream of seeing him race all three Grand Tours in the same year. "If he wins the Giro and gets on the Tour podium, he would only be missing the Vuelta podium to make history," adds Mielke. The closest to podiuming all three was Frenchman Raphaël Géminiani in 1955 when he finished 3rd at Vuelta, 4th at Giro and 6th at Tour.

Far from being a failure, Vingegaard's misstep at the European could be seen as a reaffirmation: his heart is in the Grand Tours. Forcing a rider like him to shine in the classics is perhaps going against his essence. "It's better for him to do what he loves most, rather than trying to prove something in the classics," Mielke concludes.