Campenaerts reveals huge sacrifices to hit peak form for Vingegaard's Giro-Tour double bid

Victor Campenaerts (Visma | Lease a Bike) has revealed some of the sacrifices he has made in order to be at his very best in order to help support Jonas Vingegaard (Visma | Lease a Bike) in his Giro d’Italia-Tour de France double tilt this season.

Campenaerts was part of Visma’s winning Vuelta squad last August, and he is set to be a key teammate for Vingegaard in the Grand Tours once more, at both the Giro d’Italia and Tour de France.

Fresh off supporting Vingegaard to the biggest winning margin at Paris-Nice since 1939, Campenaerts is happy with his current shape. 

But his attention now turns to preparing at altitude to be at his very best come May when the Giro rolls around, and Vingegaard aims to become the eighth male rider in the history of the sport to win all three Grand Tours. 

"I am very happy with my condition. And then I hope that 4 weeks of altitude before the Giro will add something extra,” Campenaerts told Sporza. 

"But the realist in me says that I should also be satisfied if I can maintain my current level. The team and Jonas will be happy with that too,” added the Belgian.

Campenaerts went into detail explaining the level of sacrifices he has been making to be at his optimum level.

"I may not have peaked for this period yet, but I have worked very, very hard. I have been in Spain with my family since November 1st; I haven't been in Belgium for a single day,” explained Campenaerts. 

"We go to bed every day at 8 pm. My girlfriend just goes along with it. Taking care of yourself always pays off sooner or later."

For Campenaerts, it will be a long-awaited return to the Giro d’Italia for the sixth time in his career, and first since 2021, where he will have happy memories of winning stage 15 from the breakaway in a two-man sprint ahead of Oscar Riesebeek. 

Meanwhile, Vingegaard is expected to have one more tune-up race at the Volta a Catalunya on March 23, before lining up for the Italian Grand Tour.