Jonas Vingegaard is on track to complete a prestigious and career-defining Grand Tour trilogy, but he has no plans to end his career on a high if he wins the Giro d'Italia. He has said that he is committed to staying with Visma-Lease a Bike, ignoring any temptations to move to Netcompany-Ineos or any other team.
The Dane will turn 30 in December and has raced at WorldTour level with Visma-Lease a Bike for eight years. His traumatic crash at the 2024 Itzulia Basque Country race made him reflect on the dangers of the sport. He cares deeply about his family and so does not intend to race for many more years.
Former teammate Simon Yates unexpectedly announced his retirement during the winter, just months after winning the 2025 Giro, but Vingegaard appears ready to race on at least two or three more years.
"I've always said that I'll take it year by year. That's what I've done, at least since my crash in 2024," Vingegaard said on the final rest day of the Giro d'Italia.
"At this moment, I don't see myself retiring. I just go from year to year. If I still enjoy it, I will keep riding."
The arrival of Danish software and AI company Netcompany as a new title sponsor of the team formerly known as Ineos Grenadiers sparked speculation that the British team may try to sign Vingegaard to reboot their Grand Tour ambitions. They have also been linked to French super talent Paul Seixas and Netcompany have stated they are not demanding any specific Danish signings for 2027.
Vingegaard was keen to quash any transfer speculation by committing to Visma-Lease a Bike for the final years of his career. He is under contract with the team until the end of 2028, with manager Richard Plugge hoping to land a new title sponsor to ensure the Dutch squad remains a super team and Grand Tour contender.
"That's a good question," Vingegaard conceded when asked if he will race with Visma until the end of his career.
"This year is my eighth year as a pro. I don't see myself riding until I'm 35. I'm close to turning 30, so that's actually not in so many years.
"I don't see myself changing teams, so I see myself finishing my career in this team."
Vingegaard is fully focused on winning the Giro d'Italia, then taking on Tadej Pogačar at the 2026 Tour de France.
Even riding and targeting the UCI Road World Championships in Canada in late September seems too far away to commit to being part of the Danish national team. Danish national Michael Mørkøv is keen to have Vingegaard in the squad but any decision will only be made after the Tour.
"It's a bit early, it's still four months on the horizon, so I have no answer whether I'm doing it or not," Vingegaard said when asked by the Danish media.
"I've said all the time that now I'm doing the Giro and then the Tour. That's my priority now. After the Tour I will see how I feel, and then I will make a decision on what to do."
Who will challenge Jonas Vingegaard at this year's Giro d'Italia? Subscribe to Cyclingnews for unlimited access to our coverage of the Corsa Rosa. Enjoy unrivalled reporting from our team of journalists on the ground, including breaking news, analysis, and more, from every stage as it happens, plus access to the Cyclingnews app to follow the action on the go! Find out more.
