Family first: The victory rituals of Jonas Vingegaard

On Friday, Vingegaard won on Blockhaus, edging Felix Gall by a narrow margin but opening serious gaps on most of the other Giro d’Italia contenders. Two days later, on Corno alle Scale, the Dane did it again, riding clear of the same Gall to take his second victory of this year’s race.

The first win put him in another select category: riders who have won stages in all three Grand Tours. The second moved him closer to something larger. Victory in the Giro d’Italia would place him alongside Eddy Merckx, Bernard Hinault, Jacques Anquetil, Felice Gimondi, Alberto Contador, Vincenzo Nibali and Chris Froome, the small group of riders who have won all three Grand Tours.

But the sporting consequences were only half the story. Because both times, he had the luxury again of arriving alone. And when Vingegaard arrives alone, he has time to celebrate in his own language.

The gesture that caught the eye was the kiss on the bars. Why kiss the bars? The answer is not hidden in the bike, but on it.

Fixed to the handlebars is a photo of his family: his wife Trine Marie Hansen, his daughter Frida and his son Hugo. He has done it before. Earlier this season, at Paris-Nice, Vingegaard rode with a family photo on his bars too, turning a finish line celebration into something more intimate.

After his win on Corno alle Scale, he explained the gesture:

“I do it for the right reason,” he said to Sporza. “There is a photo of my family on there. They give me extra motivation and energy to win

And then there is a third ritual that often follows a Jonas Vingegaard victory: the phone call home.

Whenever he can, Vingegaard reaches for a phone almost immediately after the finish, calling his wife so he can speak to his family before the noise of the podium, the press and the post race routine takes over.

The image is familiar. Many will remember the footage from the 2022 Tour de France stage to the Col du Granon, where Vingegaard seized control of the race and Tadej Pogačar later came over to congratulate him while the Dane was already on the phone. After the Blockhaus stage, too, Vingegaard was quickly seen with a phone to his ear.

It has occasionally drawn criticism, with some seeing it as disrespectful to rivals or teammates who come over to share a moment after the stage. But for Vingegaard, the logic seems simple. 

Before the cameras, before the handshakes, before the ceremony, there is home. Family first.