Unlike a lot of his (ex)colleagues, Jonas Vingegaard will not take a popular path

As time ticks on, one gets older and older. Life is actually that simple. Unfortunately, that means that even stars like Jonas Vingegaard are slowly but surely creeping toward their 30s. At that point, cycling retirement is also slowly appearing on the horizon. What will the star of Visma | Lease a Bike do after he retires?

How long we can keep enjoying cycling greats like Vingegaard and Tadej Pogacar, we really don't know. What we do know is that the Slovenian world champion started talking about the end of his career before. "The fact is that I am already counting down the years until my retirement," Pogacar suddenly said after his fourth overall victory in the Tour de France. Later, Pogi nuanced his statement by saying his retirement would not be before 2030.

We know a lot less about Vingegaard. What we do know is that in just under two weeks, the Dane will turn 29, which is relatively old, especially in today's world of cycling, where young talents are shining on the biggest stages from a very early age. But once his cycling retirement is here, what will Vingegaard do?

Probably what he would have done if he hadn't become a cyclist. Which is? Becoming a banker, he reveals in conversation with TV MIDTVEST. "I always said I wanted to do something with numbers - probably something related to the banking world. I've always been good with numbers," said the two-time Tour winner.

Indeed, a young Vingegaard attended business school in Thisted prior to his cycling career. "But now that I have grown up and fixed up my own house, I have found out that I like handicrafts more than I actually thought," the Dane has found what he enjoys besides cycling.

Then maybe not a banker after his pro career, but will he really work with his handers? "That's certainly possible. Time will tell. I am very fascinated by carpentry," said Vingegaard, who, unlike many riders, thinks he will choose a different path after his cycling career. "I don't actually think I'll stay in cycling when I quit."

Because some free time, rest and also time with his friends and family are things that Dane is looking forward to now. "I think I'll just enjoy being home with my family and being there for them. Besides, I don't really know what I want yet, but I'll probably figure that out."

So what Vingegaard will do after his career remains to be seen, but the fact is that he has already achieved far more than he ever dreamed of before. The Visma star therefore has some great advice for the stars of the future. "I think I would just like to give them to keep believing in it. It's not always the biggest talents that get the furthest. I wasn't one of them, and I still have a long way to go. So go for it and enjoy it."