Jonas Vingegaard reacts to former coach’s move to rival Red Bull

Heemskerk worked closely with Vingegaard during his time at Visma and coached the Dane for several years as he developed into one of the leading Grand Tour riders in the sport. The pair were together during a period in which Vingegaard won the Tour de France in 2022 and 2023.

Asked what it could mean for Red Bull to bring in a coach who knows him so well, Vingegaard said Heemskerk’s knowledge of him is obvious.

“Of course, he knows me really well,” Vingegaard told Feltet after stage 6 of the Giro d'Italia. “I worked with Tim for many years, and I think he is a fantastic coach. So I think it is a shame that we lost him.”

Despite that, Vingegaard said he was also pleased for his former coach on a personal level.

“I’m also happy for Tim,” he added. “As I have said before, he was more than just a coach to me. He was also a friend, and I wish Tim all the best.”

Heemskerk spent eight years at Visma before leaving the Dutch team earlier this year. Visma confirmed at the time that Head of Performance Mathieu Heijboer had taken over Vingegaard’s training.

At Red Bull, Heemskerk will work under Head Coach John Wakefield and take responsibility for the training management of selected WorldTour riders. The team has not disclosed which riders he will coach.

His arrival comes as Red Bull continues to strengthen its performance staff. The team said Heemskerk brings experience from working with Grand Tour riders and described him as a good fit for its coaching environment.

Vingegaard was also asked whether Red Bull could make use of Heemskerk’s knowledge of his strengths and weaknesses. He did not rule it out.

“Yes, that may well be,” Vingegaard said. “I can’t say. Time will tell.”

The move marks another notable staff change from Visma to Red Bull. In late 2024, Asker Jeukendrup, the architect behind Visma’s widely praised nutrition strategy, also made the switch to the German team.