Vingegaard executes Visma | Lease a Bike's plan perfectly, but remains mysterious about how good he truly was

Second participation, first overall victory. These are Jonas Vingegaard's statistics in Tirreno-Adriatico, where he has been dominant for the past week. IDLProCycling.com caught up with him at the press conference afterwards and posed some pointed questions. Vingegaard addressed the matters honestly, but remained somewhat guarded on one question.

"It was a great week overall. For us as a team, it was fantastic, with two stage wins and the blue leader's jersey. We can be pleased with that. I received the support I needed every day, which was very gratifying, and I want to thank my teammates for that," said Vingegaard in the post-race interview. "Our team's plan was to aim for at least two stage wins, and we definitely achieved that. We're not only happy with how I performed, but with how everyone on the team raced."

Team manager Arthur van Dongen echoed this sentiment when speaking to this website. "It was a near-perfect week, except for losing Robert Gesink due to a crash. That was unfortunate. It doesn't make it completely perfect, but it was a very strong and successful week. Our strategy was evident; we dictated the pace in the last two mountain stages. Consequently, many of our opponents were already fatigued by the time Jonas launched his attacks. It worked out well."

Did Vingegaard have to dig deep for it? Perhaps not. On Friday, he gained over a minute on his main rivals, and the following day, he added another half-minute. A knowing smile graces his face when asked if he truly had to push himself to the limit in those two mountain stages to secure such a convincing win: "Saturday's stage was particularly tough, with a challenging final climb. Did I give it my all? It's hard to say because sometimes you have to push to the limit, and sometimes not. It also depends on how much you can push," he cryptically remarks.

Read more below the photo!

At Visma | Lease a Bike, they already knew how good Vingegaard was

Visma | Lease a Bike always had confidence in its leader's abilities. Therefore, they remained unfazed when Juan Ayuso (UAE-Team Emirates) gained a 22-second advantage over Vingegaard in the opening time trial. "We had a sense of Jonas's capabilities, but ultimately, your performance is also influenced by your competitors. Jonas performed exceptionally well, although Ayuso, for instance, put in a strong time trial. Nonetheless, Jonas also delivered a commendable performance, and we were very satisfied with that," emphasized Van Dongen, who preferred not to dwell too much on the competition in Tirreno-Adriatico. "Everyone is fixated on showdowns with riders like Pogacar, but the beauty of cycling lies in the emergence of new talents every year. Everyone anticipated a battle between Evenepoel and Roglic in Paris-Nice, yet another rider emerged victorious. It's refreshing, especially when they're from our team," he remarked, referring to the unexpected overall winner, Matteo Jorgenson.

In the end, Visma | Lease a Bike achieved their objectives, and there was no doubt about Vingegaard's capabilities. "We were highly focused on this race and had a clear plan, which we executed as envisioned. Winning the race in such a manner is a great bonus. Jonas had just triumphed in O Gran Camiño, and he mentioned feeling even stronger after that initial race. We're extremely pleased with Jonas's performance," stated Steven Kruijswijk, who competed in his first race of the year at Tirreno.

"It's very gratifying to see us competing on all fronts," the experienced Dutchman reflected on Paris-Nice as well. "Olav (Kooij) wins bunch sprints, Matteo secures the overall victory, Jonas claims two stage wins and the overall classification... Winning the two biggest stage races in addition to the Grand Tours is quite remarkable." Van Dongen nodded in agreement when asked about their team's achievements: "We've now won for the fourteenth and fifteenth time, despite having fewer race days than other teams. We've hit the ground running. Yes, even without Wout van Aert and Primoz Roglic, we have a formidable team on paper for the Tour. However, I maintain that Roglic cannot be replaced easily. His contributions and victories for the team are unmatched, and many others still need to prove themselves in that regard."

Read more below the photo!

What's next for Vingegaard?

Conclusion: Visma | Lease a Bike and Vingegaard are currently perfectly on track towards the Tour de France, aiming for a third consecutive victory. It's worth taking a glance at the rest of the Dane's schedule during the press conference. What about the Olympics, for instance? "I would be prepared for it, but when I consider the riders we can send there, I'm uncertain about my selection," Vingegaard surprisingly remarks. "The course doesn't quite suit my strengths. In Denmark, we have many high-caliber riders who might perform better at the Games. While I would be enthusiastic, I doubt I'll participate."

"The World Championships in Zurich are more of a possibility," he continues. "Although we still need to assess and finalize my schedule. It depends on my condition after the Tour de France and other races. However, it's something we're contemplating." After securing overall victories in an Italian stage race, naturally, the question of a Giro d'Italia debut arises. "I enjoy racing in Italy. It's a beautiful country with excellent cuisine. I enjoy almost everything about it. However, the Giro d'Italia presents its challenges... Maybe it's something for the future, but we'll see. I certainly don't dismiss the idea of participating there someday. Nonetheless, I'm delighted to have Tirreno in my collection now. I'm proud of that. It's one of the most prestigious trophies in cycling."

The Tour de France is the sole focus for Vingegaard. This isn't surprising, given that Roglic, Remco Evenepoel, and Tadej Pogacar will be among the contenders. "It will be quite an experience to race against Primoz. We've been on the same team for the last five years, but now I must regard him as a competitor. The same goes for Evenepoel, Ayuso, and Pogacar." He maintains a pragmatic demeanor, even when questioned about his plans leading up to the Tour of the Basque Country. Any hobbies? "I've been racing since I was 11, so I've never really had any idols. Occasionally, I watch tennis or a Liverpool match, as I'm a fan. But I prefer spending time with my family over watching TV. Over the next few weeks, I'll be training at sea level in preparation for the Basque Country. I'm already looking forward to it."