Jonas Vingegaard: From ‘fisherman’ to Grand Tour contender

A new star is born.

Jonas Vingegaard sent shock waves through the cycling world when he managed to drop two-time defending champion Tadej Pogacar on the climb of Col de Granon during stage 11 of the 2022 Tour de France and take the yellow jersey from the Slovenian star.

The Dane comes from a country whose highest point is at just 173m above sea level. Yet mountains are the natural habitat for this shy but determined rider who discovered his climbing talent relatively late, after working for years as a fisherman when he was a teenager.

Read on to find more about the 25-year-old.

Jonas Vingegaard worked as a fisherman

Born in Hillerslev in northern Denmark, Vingegaard forged his character by working in a fish factory at the port of Hanstholm: “I liked doing that even if I had to wake up at five in the morning. It was kind of relaxing as I didn’t have to think too much. I just had to put in orders for soles and cods, take care of the invoices and of the auctions,” he was quoted by Gazzetta dello Sport.

“I didn’t need to work but I still didn’t know if I could become a professional cyclist. I only raced in Denmark a couple of days per week and this way I could stay busy without getting bored.”

Football, handball and badminton: A sports fanatic

The Jumbo-Visma rider didn’t immediately fall in love with cycling.

He practised many different sports when he was younger, including handball, swimming and badminton.

Vingegaard did not manage to make it in football due to his tiny frame but he remains a big fan of Liverpool and has been spotted several times in the stands at Anfield.

Jonas Vingegaard and his extraordinary physical qualities

After watching the Tour of Denmark passing by his home, the Dane decided to try cycling.

He immediately excelled in a test organised by his local club for a group of children and weeks later made his first podium in a race.

Vingegaard didn’t stand out at the beginning of his career because the flat and windy roads of Denmark didn’t suit a ‘lightweight’ like him, but his qualities emerged as soon as he travelled to other European countries.

“I discovered my first climb when I was already 16 in Italy. After that I realised, I wasn’t bad at all,” he said.

His climbing skills were noticed by Jumbo-Visma after he posted a record time on the Coll de Rates during a training camp in Spain with his former team ColoQuick.

Famous mother-in-law

Vingegaard’s mother-in-law, Rosa Kildhal, is a celebrity in Denmark.

The mum of his wife (Trine Hansen - the couple have a two-year-old daughter Frida) received a lot of popularity from the TV show 'Great Danish Bake Off'. Kildhal has her own Youtube channel and in 2018 took part in her country’s ‘Dancing with the stars’.

The rider sometimes cooks with her and is a fan of mashed potatoes or dishes with salmon.

Admiring Alberto Contador

Denmark's cycling legend Bjarne Riis was born in Herning, around 100km from Hillerslev, but the last Dane to win the Tour de France in 1996 (the year Vingegaard was born) wasn’t his idol.

“I only started to follow cycling when he had already retired,” he told Velo Magazine.

“My first idol was Riccardo Ricco, but my admiration for him stopped after he got involved with doping. Later my favourite rider became Alberto Contador because of his attacking attitude and because he’s someone he never gives up.”