‘I was also close to a burnout’: Vingegaard — like Plugge, van Aert and Kelderman — responds to Yates announcement

Yates shared his decision via social media on January 7. Team CEO Richard Plugge revealed that he received a phone call from the Giro d’Italia winner between Christmas and New Year. “I didn’t lose any sleep over it. It is what it is. It’s a shame he’s gone, but we respect his decision and the way he communicated it,” Plugge said. “We have to adapt, and it’s not like I called him to say, ’ Don’t do it. He thought it through, and that fits him.”

According to Plugge, Yates’ departure — following Tom Dumoulin and Fem van Empel — should not be seen as part of a broader pattern. “We pay a lot of attention to our riders. We gave Dumoulin the opportunity to go to Colombia for a training camp, and we were also the first team to bring family members to a training camp. You can’t compare riders one-to-one. Simon simply wanted to stop, and Fem’s situation is different from Tom’s.”

What Plugge does acknowledge is that the pressure on top athletes has increased in recent years, partly due to social media. “Elite sport is demanding, whether you’re a cyclist, swimmer, or footballer. There is pressure, and everyone has an opinion about you. I recently watched the documentary about David Beckham, and I can tell you: that is pressure.”

Jonas Vingegaard echoed those words. “It is a demanding sport, that’s something we all know. I was also close to a burnout, and I know what Simon’s schedule looked like last year — it was extremely tough. We push ourselves to the limit. We don’t go to races to get fit, but to perform. That comes with pressure.”

'It's not that it's down to the team,' the Dane said clearly. 'It's true that there are a lot of demands. You can say yourself: this is too much for me, we have to change. I have not always been able to do that, but I have also learned that. If I hadn't, I would have been close to burnout, too. And that's what Simon has done now.'

The Dane stressed that this should not be interpreted as criticism of the team. “All I mean is that a lot is asked of you. You might say: this is too much for me, we need to change something. I didn’t always manage to do that, but I learned. If I hadn’t, I would have been close to a burnout as well. That is the step Simon has taken now.”

Wout van Aert largely shared the view of Plugge and Vingegaard. “I know how tough it is to be a professional athlete. Some athletes lose motivation, but on the other hand many people would see this as a dream life. I still feel like a child when I get on the bike, and I’m definitely not thinking about stopping.”

The Belgian emphasised how supported he feels within the team. “It really feels like home,” Van Aert said. He also admitted that Yates’ decision came as a surprise. “The news that Simon was stopping came as a big shock to everyone in the team. I didn’t know he was struggling to find motivation.”

Wilco Kelderman, who rode the Giro d’Italia alongside Yates last season, also found out through the announcement itself. “I opened the app and saw Simon’s message. I started reading and thought he meant that he would stop after this year. Then I read on and saw that it was immediate.”

Kelderman did reflect on Yates's comments after the Giro. “He said back then that he felt he had achieved everything and didn’t expect to ride for much longer. At some point, you start asking yourself: what goals do I still have? Simon isn’t a typical domestique — he really likes doing his own thing.”

Despite the understanding for Yates’ decision, his departure is a sporting setback for Visma | Lease a Bike. “It’s a blow because he was an important part of the Tour de France plans, but I have a lot of respect for his choice,” Vingegaard said. “We’ll have to adjust, but we’ll find a solution. You can’t replace him.”

Sporting director Grischa Niermann confirmed that the team will not bring in a replacement. Visma | Lease a Bike will instead reshuffle internally to adapt to the sudden loss of the experienced Briton.