Vingegaard's season ended after his victory in the Tour of Poland in August. He found peace with his family after a turbulent year, after which he could set his sights on 2025. “It has been a while since I raced”, Vingegaard opens. “I was glad to spend some time with my family after the season. In September we welcomed our newborn son. That was a very special moment for us.”  

“From a sporting point of view, 2024 was a bizarre year for me”, he continues. “It started fantastically with my overall victories in O Gran Camiño and Tirreno-Adriatico. I was perfectly on track towards the bigger goal ahead: the Tour de France. I felt I was ready. In my opinion, I was riding stronger than ever.”  

In early April, fate struck for Vingegaard. In the fourth stage of Itzulia Basque Country, he was involved in a mass crash. “It was quite a task to recover from the crash as well as from the disappointment”, the Dane explains. “My injuries were worse than most people thought. I had sustained several fractures. In total, I spent twelve days in hospital, eight of them in intensive care. It was a difficult period, but I learnt a lot from it.”  

After intense rehabilitation, Vingegaard was still at the start of the Tour de France in Florence. The Dane took an emotional victory after a duel with Tadej Pogacar on stage eleven. A few days later, he was second on the final podium in Nice.  

“It was already a personal victory that I was ready to start the Tour”, Vingegaard says. “I was already incredibly proud of that. What came after that was an absolute bonus for me. That I managed to win a stage and that I finished second in the general classification was special. A few weeks later, I won a big race with the Tour de Pologne. I look back at those moments with a lot of pride.”  

“My biggest goal for 2025 is to win the Tour de France for the third time”, he looks ahead. “It is the race that means the most to me. Its greatness is unique in the world of cycling. The Tour always gives me a special feeling, so I'm looking forward to it immensely. I will do everything I can to be at the start in my best possible shape.”  

Team Visma | Lease a Bike again focus on Grand Tour success: “Winning the Tour de France remains our biggest goal”

In preparation for that main goal, Vingegaard will contest the Volta ao Algarve, Paris-Nice and the Volta a Catalunya. “In Paris-Nice, I still have something to put right. Also Catalunya is not yet on my palmares. So I am motivated to go for the win there. Although that's the case for every race I ride. I'm motivated to show myself in the coming season”, Vingegaard says.  

The Critérium du Dauphiné is the last race Vingegaard contests ahead of the Tour de France. After the Tour, the Vuelta a España is also still on the calendar for the Danish leader of Team Visma | Lease a Bike. 

Team Visma | Lease a Bike presents ambitious goals for 2025