Jonas Vingegaard already looking to 2027 as Campenaerts reveals early Tour de France talks

For Vingegaard, the 2026 season ended in circumstances he could hardly have imagined. Having won the Giro d'Italia and arrived at the Tour de France with ambitions of adding another Grand Tour victory, a crash on stage 15 left him with a fractured collarbone and brought his campaign to an abrupt halt.

But while the Visma | Lease a Bike leader has largely remained out of the public eye since then, his attention has already shifted towards what comes next.

Speaking to WielerFlits, Campenaerts revealed that Vingegaard had contacted him as early as late August to begin discussing their plans for the following season.

"I think he first messaged me towards the end of August to exchange some ideas about next year," Campenaerts explained. "At the time, I thought it was a little early."

The Belgian, who has become one of Vingegaard's most trusted teammates in the mountains, was nevertheless encouraged by the approach.

"It's really great to see how motivated he is to come back even better," he said.

And while the pair have already discussed possible objectives for 2027, Campenaerts was reluctant to reveal too much about their plans.

"We can't give everything away, but the season ultimately revolves around the Tour de France."

Vingegaard's early planning is not the only indication that he is approaching his comeback with considerable determination.

The 29-year-old has recently been spotted training in Mallorca, with amateur cyclists sharing images of encounters with the Dane in early October.

Former professional rider and Eurosport commentator Brian Holm has also heard encouraging reports about Vingegaard's mindset.

"I have heard from reliable sources that he has fire in his eyes," Holm said on the Cafe Eddy podcast.

According to Holm, Vingegaard's commitment to his preparations even influenced his decision not to attend a royal engagement in his home region of Skive earlier this month.

The renewed focus comes after a season of contrasting fortunes. Vingegaard opened his campaign with victories at Paris-Nice and the Volta a Catalunya before claiming the Giro d'Italia, completing his collection of victories across all three Grand Tours. His season then came to a premature end following a crash at the Tour de France.

Looking ahead to 2027, another Tour de France victory will undoubtedly remain his main objective, but Vingegaard has also expressed an interest in expanding his palmarès. The Tour de Suisse and Tour de Romandie are the only two of cycling's seven major week-long stage races he has yet to win.

The mountainous World Championships in Haute-Savoie could also feature in his plans. Danish national coach Michael Mørkøv has previously revealed that the possibility of Vingegaard targeting the rainbow jersey on the demanding French course has been discussed for several years.

For Campenaerts, the conversations with Vingegaard come at the end of a season of mixed fortunes. The Belgian recently celebrated overall victory at the Eneco Tour.

Despite that success, he was not entirely satisfied with his performances throughout the year.

"Mixed feelings," Campenaerts told WielerFlits. "The season started very well at Paris-Nice. Then I rode the Giro with Jonas, and that was really exciting. It was a pleasure to see how dominant we were as a team."

The Tour de France, however, proved more difficult.

"I personally wasn't in such good shape. And then Jonas crashed... That wasn't what we had hoped for," he admitted. "You could say that a season usually stands or falls with the Tour de France."

Campenaerts had shown progress in the mountains earlier in the season, finishing 17th overall at Paris-Nice, but was less satisfied with his consistency.

"As a domestique, you have to be reliable and consistent. That's where I felt I fell short," he said.

The Belgian gave his season a seven out of ten, but hopes to improve on that in 2027, when helping Vingegaard return to the top of the Tour de France podium will once again be the major objective.