Vingegaard reveals he considered ending career before Visma compromise
Jonas Vingegaard has revealed that he considered retirement last year due to the demands that were being placed upon him to compete at the top level of the sport.
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Following discussions with Visma | Lease a Bike management, however, a compromise was reached, with Vingegaard given a bigger say in his race programme and training camp schedule.
“I said last year that if this was how it was going to be, I couldn’t be in it anymore,” Vingegaard told Danish broadcaster TV2 on Sunday evening.
“That’s also why we changed some things. I also think the team realised that this was how it was, and they could also tell from me that I wasn't happy last year. They accepted that we had to change something, and we did.”
Although Vingegaard ultimately enjoyed success in 2025, winning the Vuelta a España after placing second at the Tour de France, he enacted a series of changes for the new season. Most notably, he added the Giro d’Italia to his programme, completing a full set of Grand Tour victories when he carried the pink jersey to Rome in May.
“I think that in general you should look at it more individually, what suits the individual rider best,” Vingegaard said.
“In order for cycling to become a sustainable sport again, it is probably more the direction to go that you create individual programmes for all riders. If it is hard to be away for such a long time, then you have to do something else, and that is what we have done for me this year.”
Vingegaard acknowledged that life as a Grand Tour contender “takes a toll on your body and mind,” and he highlighted the dietary demands as a particular issue. “You always have to think about your weight, and you’re always out training,” he said. “A lot is demanded of you.”
The two-time Tour winner stressed that he had struck a better balance in 2026, but he noted that there was still more to do.
“I’m much happier being a cyclist,” Vingegaard said. “We have taken a step in the right direction, but it is clear that it is only a step.”
Vingegaard currently lies second overall at the Tour, 2:42 behind Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) after the Slovenian claimed a crushing victory at Gavarnie-Gèdre on stage 6.
Their rivalry has defined the Tour for the past five summers, and Vingegaard looks set to be Pogačar’s closest challenger once more in 2026. Pogačar has so far been operating on a different level to all others, but Vingegaard rejected the idea that the Tour is already decided.
“It may be that many people think so, but I don’t,” he said. “I have been behind in the Tour de France before and then won it anyway, and I still believe that it can be done. I intend to fight all the way to Paris for it.”
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