Vingegaard responds to ex-coach's move to Red Bull: 'He knows me very well'

Jonas Vingegaard was dealt a real blow at the start of this season when his coach and trusted confidant Tim Heemskerk decided to leave Visma | Lease a Bike after eight years. Earlier this week, Heemskerk announced he would be joining Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe. Vingegaard, currently competing at the Giro d'Italia, has now responded.

Heemskerk and Vingegaard were inseparable for years. The highly regarded coach was a central figure in the operation around the Danish climber, which made his departure in February all the more surprising. "I have noticed recently that I was struggling to keep applying my creativity and passion," he explained at the time.

And so he went looking for a new challenge — finding it at Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe, where he will be reuniting with Marc Lamberts, a former colleague from their Jumbo-Visma days. He will now work alongside Remco Evenepoel and Florian Lipowitz — two of Vingegaard's biggest rivals ahead of the Tour de France.

Vingegaard was asked about Heemskerk's move after stage six. The Dane is candid about how much he misses him. "Of course he knows me very well," he told Feltet at the team bus. "I worked with Tim for many years, and I think he is a fantastic coach. So it's certainly a shame to lose him."

Vingegaard is clearly disappointed — but not only that. He achieved his greatest successes with Heemskerk by his side, and genuinely wishes him well. "I'm also very happy for Tim. As I've said before, he was more than a coach to me — he was also a friend, and I wish him all the best."

That Heemskerk is joining Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe will sting at least a little, though. The team is determined to close the gap on UAE Team Emirates-XRG and Visma | Lease a Bike, with a Tour de France victory somewhere in the coming years as their stated goal. Does that mean Heemskerk now takes all of Vingegaard's secrets with him — all his weaknesses? "That could certainly be the case. Time will tell."