Vingegaard praises wife Trine's support - ‘She can be a mental coach for many’
Jonas Vingegaard knows just how much it takes to win the biggest races in professional cycling. Long days away from the family, personal sacrifices and missing key events, Vingegaard spoke recently at a sponsor event in Odense, Denmark, about the matter.
A support network for a professional cyclist is key, considering the long, arduous hours of training, time spent at altitude camps, and the general period spent away from home during the racing season.
Vingegaard explained how his wife, Trine Marie Vingegaard Hansen, is good at understanding him during the crucial moments, and how this helps the Dane mentally.
“My wife, Trine, is good at understanding people. I would go so far as to say that she can be a mental coach for many," Vingegaard said about his wife, Trine. "Often it's just about getting rid of something, and then you feel better. That's how it is for me too. When I'm stressed, I need to talk about it and get rid of what's frustrating me."
Regarding the immense and growing pressure of modern cycling, Vingegaard suggested that the mental toll that the sport takes on a person is growing.
“It's definitely mentally challenging. It takes a lot to be a cyclist these days,” Vingegaard exclaimed. "There are a lot of training camps and time away from home. The Tour is getting bigger and bigger, and there's more pressure from the team, but also from the media and everything around. So I don't think we'll see careers like [Alejandro] Valverde's anymore."
Valverde, who retired from the road back in 2022, at the age of 42, contrasted with Vingegaard in terms of the racing schedules, with the 2018 World Champion mixing his calendar regularly, whilst the Dane prefers a more rigid approach to his major goals of the season, most often, the Tour de France.
