The 25-year-old Dane Jonas Vingegaard is about to win the overall Tour de France. A few years ago, hardly anyone would have thought it possible that he would one day win the most important cycling race in the world.
The Dane Jonas Vingegaard has been wearing the yellow jersey since the eleventh stage
Four years ago, Jonas Vingegaard was still working part-time in a fish factory in Jutland in the northwest. “I really did it,” said the professional cyclist, who is now preparing to win the Tour de France, in an interview with the “Süddeutsche Zeitung” in 2021. At the age of 18, Vingegaard started the job in the factory. His career as a racing cyclist was at a standstill at that time. “I wouldn't say I was lazy, but I wasn't always the guy who trained the most,” said the Dane. The factory work didn't prevent him from getting on his bike – on the contrary: “I had more motivation to train back then if I had worked before.”
Helper for Primoz Roglic
At the time, hardly anyone could have guessed that he would now most likely climb the Olympus of cycling. From time to time Vingegaard showed his great potential in the mountains and celebrated a few notable successes such as second place at the Tour of China 2016, which was not very well attended either. He became a full professional in 2019 when he signed a contract with the Dutch racing team Jumbo-Visma. That year he won a mountain stage of the Tour of Poland, it was his first day win in a top race. In 2020 Vingegaard started for the first time in one of the three big tours. At the Vuelta in Spain, he was among the Jumbo Visma riders who helped their captain, Primoz Roglic, to the overall win.
2021 in Paris: Vingegaard (left) with his daughter Frida in his arms, next to him overall winner Pogacar and third Carapaz
Vingegaard also started the Tour de France 2021 as an assistant to the Slovenian team captain. Roglic had already had the overall victory in mind at the Tour of France the year before, but then lost the yellow jersey to his compatriot Tadej Pogacar on the penultimate day. On the third day of the 2021 Tour, Roglic had a bad fall and gave up the race a few days later.
Even his team was surprised
Now Vingegaard was suddenly team captain. With his courageous and courageous driving style, he even surprised those responsible at Jumbo-Visma. “It was exciting to watch him and feel his fighting spirit,” said the team's sporting director, German ex-pro Grischa Niermann of Vingegaard. “He's still young and we know that in him we have a future rankings driver in our team. However, we didn't expect that he could pull that off just yet.” Even if he didn't seriously endanger the outstanding Pogacar and ended up being more than five minutes behind the Slovenian, Vingegaard made it onto the podium in Paris as second overall. He also ranks second behind Pogacar in the junior classification.
Two times Pogacar distanced
Again this year, Jumbo-Visma wanted to make life difficult for the top favorite Pogacar with Roglic and Vingegaard as dual leaders. Roglic had to give up again due to fall injuries. Ultimately, it was Vingegaard who not only stood up to Pogacar, who initially dominated as expected, but also showed him his limits. On the eleventh stage, a difficult section in the Alps, the Dane literally left the Slovenian standing on the final climb and not only clinched the day's victory, but also snatched the yellow jersey from Pogacar. In the overall standings, Vingegaard now had a lead of almost two and a half minutes over the Tour's top favorite.
Vingegaard ( l.) and Pogacar watched each other, but the Dane never lost sight of the Slovenian
The 25-year-old also controlled the race on the other difficult mountain stages and never let Pogacar drive away decisively. In champion style, Vingegaard then won stage 18 in the Pyrenees. As on the eleventh stage, he distanced himself from Pogacar, took his second victory of the day and extended the lead to almost three and a half minutes. That was the preliminary decision.
Will Vingegaard think about the fish factory in Jutland again these days? “It was a good time,” said the Dane in retrospect. However, the time at the Tour de France is a much better one.