'He's pure gold': Bruno Armirail shares insight into life as a teammate of Jonas Vingegaard

Bruno Armirail has described Jonas Vingegaard as ‘pure gold’, offering his insight into the Dane’s personality away from the spotlight and what it is like to be a teammate of the two-time Tour de France winner. 

In an interview with Cyclism’Actu, Armirail was asked about his relationship with Vingegaard, after his first season racing for Visma | Lease a Bike. 

“It’s true that the general public might not appreciate him quite as much as they do Pogačar, perhaps because he’s a bit less demonstrative,” Armirail told Cyclism’Actu.

"But honestly, within the team, he’s a super cool guy; he’s pure gold. He’s truly lovely, very close to all of us, and very family-oriented. From the outside, people might not realise that, but he’s a genuinely wonderful person.” 

Since arriving at Visma, Armirail has already played an important role in some of Vingegaard's success, supporting the Dane to victory at both Paris-Nice and the Volta a Catalunya. 

Additionally, Armirail featured in Visma’s Tour squad, having spent countless kilometres contributing to the pace-setting in the peloton throughout the season. However, Vingegaard ultimately crashed out of the race on stage 15.

Following the Dane’s setback, Armirail expressed his hope of supporting Vingegaard’s Tour ambitions once again next summer, as Visma aim to reclaim the Tour crown from Tadej Pogačar for the first time since 2023. 

“I hope so, we’ll see,” Armirail said. “If he [Vingegaard] rides the Tour, we’ll do our absolute best."

Looking back on his first season with Visma as a whole, Armirail has embraced his role and highlighted the team environment. 

“It's a different environment. The team itself is unique. They place a great deal of trust in older riders, or, let’s say, more experienced ones,” Armirail said.

“That’s why this team suits me so well. It’s always great to be part of a squad that pairs me with other experienced guys. That works for me.”