Jonas Vingegaard 'improving so fast' with Tour de France 2024 in sight, according to his coach
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ByEurosport
Published 16/05/2024 at 17:31 GMT
Jonas Vingegaard's coach Tim Heemskerk has been encouraged in recent weeks by the progress the Dane is making as he continues his recovery from serious injuries sustained at the Itzulia Basque Country. Heemskerk believes the two-time Tour de France champion will be fit enough to ride at this year's Grand Tour, which begins on June 29, if he continues to progress at the speed he currently is.
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Jonas Vingegaard's coach Tim Heemskerk says the rider's recovery is going well as he looks to ramp up preparations for the Tour de France.
The Visma-Lease A Bike rider has been recovering after suffering serious injuries from a high-speed crash at the Itzulia Basque Country in early April.
Vingegaard punctured his lung, fractured his ribs and broke his collarbone.
He is currently at home in Denmark and is continuing to gradually increase his outdoor riding. Last week, he returned to riding his bike again as shown by a video posted by his team's social media.
Heemskerk is convinced Vingegaard, who won the Tour de France in 2022 and 2023, is capable of being on the start line in Florence, Italy, on June 29.
"We're dealing with a two-time Tour de France champion," Heemskerk said about the 27-year-old in quotes carried by Cycling Weekly.
"We know these guys are mentally really tough but also can recover really fast. At the time of crashing these guys are already really fit, they're not the average athlete."
Heemskerk added that he had been encouraged by Vingegaard's progression based on the feedback given to him by the Dane's medical team.
"Every time the messages we've got are that he's improving so fast," he said.
"That's the same for every time there's been something going on in the last six years when I was working with him.
"Every day we've been keeping in touch with each other and every day it's going in the direction of maybe doing some normal training again in just a matter of time.
"But you cannot predict tomorrow or the day after, maybe then there is pain or something going on, but at the moment it looks like every day we can add a little bit and every day we're getting closer to getting back on track."
Heemskerk says Vingegaard will only travel to the Tour de France if he is fully fit.
He said: "When we really look at how much time we have till the start of the Tour, let's say it's eight weeks, then we know that Jonas is at the best place at the moment to build base levels, to increase training volume, to maybe start doing some intervals soon and to continue working with the physio in Denmark.
"But then at one point, you know that like every year, Denmark is not the place to prepare for the Tour. So you have to go in the future, when things are going in the right direction, you have to go ride long climbs.
"Hopefully, he'll be able to join a part of the preparation with all the other riders. We have a team going now to Sierra Nevada preparing and then that team will also go to the Criterium du Dauphine and then to Tignes.
"I really hope we will improve every day so that he's able to join the team in Tignes and be part of a group.
"We'll continue monitoring every day, I think that's the most important thing now and I know it will be really important in the next two, three weeks. I'm positive about these things."
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