Jonas Vingegaard is ready for the European Championships this weekend. He says so at his team's press conference the day before the road race starts. "On Sunday, I'm going all out to achieve a top result," the Dane says. Performance coach Mathieu Heijboer provides further explanation in Het Nieuwsblad.
"Tadej Pogacar and Remco Evenepoel are the clear top favorites on Sunday," Vingegaard states. "I have the advantage that Denmark includes Pedersen (who is now known not to start, ed.) and Skjelmose on the team. They are strong in one-day races, so I can draw on their experience and expertise."
"I've always struggled with one-day races, so this European Championship road race is a test. But it’s not a major seasonal goal; gaining experience is more important to me than winning. I have to start somewhere, and the European Championship is a great race to begin with. Because I do indeed have the dream to perform well in one-day races."
"Not Betting on Two Horses"
Heijboer then explains that Visma | Lease a Bike made a deliberate choice in recent years to have Vingegaard focus solely on stage races. "Jonas proved strong in stage races, and over the past few years his focus has shifted there. We didn't want to bet on two horses, so one-day racing took a backseat."
"But now that Jonas has won two of the three Grand Tours, his ambition to perform in one-day races is growing again. If things go well on Sunday, that will play a bigger role, maybe not immediately next season, but certainly in the future. Jonas feels ready now for the European Championships. Sunday could go very well, but it could also be disappointing. I read from Almeida that he also has doubts about his form after the Vuelta, and with Jonas, it’s the same," Heijboer concludes.
