Vingegaard warns his children off cycling as safety concerns grow
When Jonas Vingegaard turned up at Tivoli this week, it was to support his wife, Trine Vingegaard Hansen, at the launch of her new app. But it did not take long before the conversation shifted away from the event itself and onto a subject that continues to follow him: safety in professional cycling.
It is not a new topic for the two time Tour de France winner. Vingegaard has spoken out several times in recent seasons, including earlier this year at Paris-Nice, where he questioned whether the road conditions on the opening stage were up to WorldTour standard.
“I don’t think the route was very good today,” Vingegaard told Feltet. “I don’t think it was worthy of a WorldTour race. Bad roads, constantly right and left, potholes. Especially the last descent, which we rode three times, wasn’t good enough for a WorldTour race.”
His wife, Trine, believes those comments matter and supports Vingegaard in speaking out.
“He is someone people listen to,” she said to Feltet. “If riders like him do not say anything, then nothing changes.”
For Vingegaard, the risks are anything but abstract. His crash at the Itzulia Basque Country in 2024 was a stark example of how quickly things can turn. He was left with multiple injuries, including several broken ribs, a fractured sternum, a broken finger and a shattered collarbone, while both lungs were punctured, leading to internal bleeding.
What followed was just as remarkable. Discharged from hospital in mid April, Vingegaard returned to racing at the Tour de France on June 29. Less than two weeks later, he won Stage 11 ahead of eventual champion Tadej Pogačar, before going on to finish second overall.
That experience helps explain why he is so clear when the conversation turns to his own children.
“I would advise them not to become cyclists,” he said. “It is a dangerous sport, and you spend a lot of time away from home. And with the way things are going, I am not sure it will become safer.”
At home, however, the picture is more ordinary. Their children still sit down to watch his races, following along and cheering him on. “They enjoy it,” Trine said. “They love seeing him on TV.”
Whether that interest will ever turn into something more is uncertain. For now, both parents agree on one thing: there will be no expectation to follow the same path. “They should choose their own direction,” Trine said. “There is no need for that kind of pressure.”
Vingegaard allowed himself a brief smile when the topic turned to alternatives. Their son Hugo, he said, has already shown a knack for football.
“Maybe that is the way to go,” he added.
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