Jonas Vingegaard’s coach on the Tour: ‘It’s 50-50’

“For me, it’s 50-50 whether Jonas makes it to the Tour.” Jonas Vingegaard’s coach, Tim Heemskerk, told Danish outlet B.T.

For months, cycling fans have wondered if they will see Jonas Vingegaard at the start of the Tour de France in Florence. After his terrible crash in Basque Country, and a 12-day stay in the hospital, Vingegaard finally began riding again. From the flat roads of Denmark to the high mountains, his coach Tim Heemskerk confirmed that after logging some base miles back home, Vingegaard has progressed to the point where he can handle the challenging mountain rides.

Joining Visma – LAB training camp

He’s been riding in France and Heemswerk says his fitness is now good enough to join the team, at the Visma – Lease a Bike training camp.

“In the coming days, Jonas will continue alone while the riders from the Dauphiné – including Matteo Jorgenson – recover. But starting Thursday, they will train together, with each rider following their own program during team training. It is very positive for me that he can be part of the squad,” he said.

Following program under close supervision

At the end of May, Heemswerk was optimistic Jonas Vingegaard would be fit enough to train with the team. Vingegaard has been following his program meticulously while the team ensures he isn’t pushed too hard. The Danish Tour hopeful is doing everything he can to be ready for the year’s biggest cycling race.

“He needed to follow the program to have any hopes of being ready for the Tour. The exciting thing now is how he responds to the tough week of training he just had. The first week at altitude was for adaptation and recovery, and then he had a tough week. Now there’s another one coming,” Heemskerk said.

“The important thing now is how he reacts to it. Can he handle it? Will he get tired? The upcoming week and the one after are crucial leading up to the Tour,” he said. “It’s also important that he gets a feeling of ‘wow – I feel more and more ready.'”

R and R before return to training

“Jonas needs a few more good weeks of training before we can say he’s back to the level he usually has before the Tour. There’s still some fitness that needs to be regained, he said.

Vingegaard has recently undergone a brief period of recovery, and over the next few days, Heemskerk will observe his body’s response to intense training. But it’s a race against time. The Tour de France begins June 29 in Florence–just 17 days away.

You can watch the Tour on Flobikes.com