After finishing a grueling Tour de France in second place on Sunday, Jonas Vingegaard already has new plans, and they involve Poland! Vingegaard has announced that he will participate in the Tour de Pologne. It was during this race in Poland that he first demonstrated his strength among the elite. Now, he will once again be in the spotlight in our country.

This year’s Tour de France will be remembered for years. Tadej Pogacar decisively won, but Jonas Vingegaard and Remco Evenepoel were also heroes of the race. Vingegaard, who won the Tour in 2022 and 2023, showcased his journey from a humble cyclist who balanced biking with sorting fish in the port of Hanstholm to becoming one of the giants of the peloton. And it all began in Poland.

On August 8, 2019, Vingegaard crossed the finish line first on the sixth stage of the Tour de Pologne in Kościelisko, ahead of Pavel Sivakov and Jai Hindley. Exhausted after the race, he briefly wore the yellow leader’s jersey before losing it, as he was not yet strong enough.

Much has changed since then. Vingegaard finished second in the 2021 Tour de France, just behind Pogacar, and no one could beat him in the subsequent two editions. This year, he aimed for another victory but had to recover from a crash during the Tour of the Basque Country, which shortened his preparation time. Competing against someone like Pogacar, he still managed to win one stage and finished the Tour in Nice in second place. However, he does not intend to end his season just yet.

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“The plan is to race in San Sebastian in three weeks, and then immediately in the Tour de Pologne,” the Visma – Lease a Bike rider revealed on Danish TV2.

It is not yet known if he will aim for victory, seek a stage win, or just train under race conditions, but he is sure to be one of the biggest stars of the race, which starts on August 12 in Wrocław.

“Then we’ll see how things go. If everything goes well, I might race more, but you probably shouldn’t expect to see me much in the fall. After everything I’ve been through, I think I need a long break,” said the cyclist from Thybergen.

Vingegaard also discussed his plans for the World Championships, which will be held in Switzerland this year. He has not made a decision yet, as his wife is expecting a baby.

“It’s definitely a race I would like to compete in, but it depends on what happens with my family. I can’t promise that I will ride in the World Championships,” he said.

By Kamil Wolnicki/Przegląd Sportowy

Photo: Szymon Gruchalski