Visma bats down reports of tension with Vingegaard's camp
Visma-Lease a Bike has been aggressive in the opening stages of the Tour de France, but the team found itself the focus of criticism from an unlikely source over the weekend as two-time Tour winner Jonas Vingegaard's wife criticized the team in an interview with Danish newspaper Politiken.
Trine Marie Hansen told the paper that her husband was racing, training and especially traveling too much. "I'm afraid he'll burn the candle at both ends," she said. Hansen also insinuated that Visma might not be supporting Vingegaard 100% at the Tour, saying, "If you start spending resources on the stage victories of other riders, these resources are no longer at the service of Jonas." Hansen pointed to her husband's primary rival, Tadej Pogačar and his UAE Team Emirates squad, as a positive example. "When he starts a race, there is no doubt about who is the captain. Everyone knows their role."
The Visma team rejected that there are any tensions, with lead director Grischa Niermann saying that all itineraries were agreed on well in advance and pointing out that Vingegaard skipped a February training camp to be home. Wout van Aert also denied any issues, telling Sporza that the team was surprised by the report, and defended his role. "My performance with this team speaks for itself," he said. "I always give myself 100% to achieve the goals we set ourselves. It's clear to everyone, including Jonas, and that's what we're looking for." As for Vingegaard? He claimed not to have read the interview, "so I'm not 100% sure of what is said. I don't read the media during the races, so it's hard for me to answer." [Politiken]
