Debate over Vingegaard's wife-interview has been blown out of proportion, says Politiken's sports editor

Since the weekend, an interview in Politiken (https://politiken.dk/sport/cykling/touren/art10473765/%C2%ABMan-presser-citronen-for-meget-nu%C2%AB) with Jonas Vingegaard's wife and manager Trine Marie Vingegaard Hansen has drawn headlines both domestically and abroad.

In the interview, the sports star's wife expresses concern that Jonas Vingegaard "burns his light at both ends," and that "they are pressing the lemon too much now" with all the travel activity he has.

Furthermore, she believes that the Visma team should exclusively focus on winning the Tour de France with Jonas Vingegaard and not use resources to chase stage wins and individual goals for his teammates.

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> I'm surprised that the interview has caused such a huge wave.

> Christian Heide-Jørgensen, sports editor, Politiken

The story has been covered by several sports commentators, as the story broke just at the start of the Tour de France, and many are concerned that it will disrupt Jonas Vingegaard.

Among others, DR-Sport's Tour de France expert Brian Nygaard (https://www.dr.dk/sporten/cykling/tourdefrance/vingegaards-hustru-vaekker-opsigt-med-kritik-af-holdet-timingen-er-helt) called the timing of the statements "completely skewed."

The story has also been reported in German, Dutch, Belgian, French, and Spanish media.

The fact that the story has drawn so many headlines, had Politiken's sports editor Christian Heide-Jørgensen not believed.

- I'm surprised that the interview has caused such a huge wave. I think most people in the media industry would be surprised when a story gets such international attention, says he in P1 Debat (https://www.dr.dk/lyd/p1/p1-debat/p1-debat-2025/mere-tid-til-familien-vingegaard-11162501282).

* "Wife of cycling star: They are demanding too much of him," reads it in German Süddeutsche Zeitung. (Photo: © (Screenshot))

* The Spanish sports media Marca has the headline "Vingegaard's wife: 'I hope he has the full support of the team.'" (Photo: © (Screenshot))

* "Jonas Vingegaard's wife and manager criticize Visma-team's choices: 'They should only focus on winning the Tour de France.' So writes the French-speaking Belgian newspaper Le Soir. (Photo: © (Screenshot))

* The Dutch media NOS caught Jonas Vingegaard themselves and asked for a comment. They have the headline: "Vingegaard on his wife's criticism of Visma: 'You are wasting your time.'" (Photo: © (Screenshot))

1 / 4 "Wife of cycling star: They are demanding too much of him," reads it in German Süddeutsche Zeitung. (Photo: © (Screenshot)) 1 / 4 The Spanish sports media Marca has the headline "Vingegaard's wife: 'I hope he has the full support of the team.'" (Photo: © (Screenshot)) 2 / 4 "Jonas Vingegaard's wife and manager criticize Visma-team's choices: 'They should only focus on winning the Tour de France.' So writes the French-speaking Belgian newspaper Le Soir. (Photo: © (Screenshot)) 3 / 4 The Dutch media NOS caught Jonas Vingegaard themselves and asked for a comment. They have the headline: "Vingegaard on his wife's criticism of Visma: 'You are wasting your time.'" (Photo: © (Screenshot)) 4 / 4

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Had nothing to do with timing

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Brian Nygaard is not the only one commenting on the timing of the interview.

The same applies to former cyclist and Tour de France expert Bjarne Riis, who says in B.T. (https://www.bt.dk/cykling/bjarne-riis-det-er-en-eklatant-fejl-trine?gaa_at=eafs&gaa_n=ASWzDAijLT0L_OGaoaXlEUcyiaoLcKCwsMn6VGoR5Jqp3Fe4j6Xsy97Wy4ASbdDdIFM%3D&gaa_ts=686cac59&gaa_sig=ASxBj5pnyWH2i_thMqggzB-uxLVEGQHnt9jUPefxUkWj7sV-Vbu6ZBS9y_A4X0btkGrgGJpDUIRbXsbCmA_8iA%3D%3D)

- It's disruptive for the team, for Jonas, writes Bjarne Riis in a comment.

According to Politiken's article, the interview with Trine Marie Vingegaard Hansen took place in the middle of June during the last training camp before the year's Tour.

Jonas Vingegaard has a wife Trine Marie Vingegaard Hansen and children Frida and Hugo. (Photo: © Mads Claus Rasmussen/Ritzau Scanpix)

And wife has in no way had any influence on the fact that the interview ended up being published in Politiken on Sunday during the second day of the Tour.

- It's us who decide the timing. It's not Trine Marie Hansen, and it has not been a discussion with her. We place the interview at the time where we believe a important debate comes out to the most possible people, says he.

- One should be a scoundrel, if we don't try to time it with a time when there is actually an interest in cycling and Jonas Vingegaard.

Trine Marie Vingegaard Hansen did not want to participate in P1 Debat, but writes that she would not start a debate during the Tour de France, and that it was not the intention of the interview in Politiken.

Read also: Vingegaard's wife raises eyebrows with criticism of the team: 'The timing is completely skewed' (https://www.dr.dk/sporten/cykling/tourdefrance/vingegaards-hustru-vaekker-opsigt-med-kritik-af-holdet-timingen-er-helt)

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A 'no shit Sherlock' comment

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DR's cycling expert Brian Nygaard is familiar with the dynamics between large cycling teams and the media, as he has a long history as press and communications chief for a number of World Tour teams.

According to him, cycling teams hold meetings, where they discuss tactics both before and after stages.

- The last thing they have need for is then to hear from a third party that they should change their priorities. If there is something that needs to be discussed, it should then be done internally on the team, says Brian Nygaard in P1 Debat.

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> I think it's great that there are sources that honestly go out and tell about what it's like to be in this situation.

> Christian Heide-Jørgensen, sports editor, Politiken

But Politikens sports editor does not read the same sharp criticism of Visma-Lease a Bike that Brian Nygaard and several other cycling sports commentators and experts do.

- When people write that she "raises a hard criticism of Visma," I'm not in agreement with that. She mentions some friction points between their interests and Visma's interests, and that's interesting enough, but I don't read a hard criticism of Visma anywhere, says Christian Heide-Jørgensen.

According to him, the story has been blown out of proportion, and one should read the article carefully.

Trine Marie Vingegaard Hansen says among other things that she hopes that the cycling team will back Jonas Vingegaard fully, and that would according to Christian Heide-Jørgensen be surprising if she said the opposite.

- It's a bit of a 'no shit Sherlock' comment she comes with. And it's right, that one can interpret and read implications into it, but it's an interpretation of things. I think it's been cut very hard in the media, says Christian Heide-Jørgensen.

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Vingegaard: Taken out of context

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The sports editor is annoyed that the focus is on Trine Marie Vingegaard Hansen's criticism of the Visma team, rather than the debate about life as a professional cyclist.

- She speaks from a perspective that deals with getting a family life to work, and she talks about how it's a hard life to get going.

- It's worthy, and I think it's great that there are sources that honestly go out and tell about what it's like to be in this situation, says Christian Heide-Jørgensen.

He fears that fewer in the future will want to put themselves forward, when interviews are blown up in the media.

Sports director for Visma-Lease a Bike Grischa Niermann says to TV2 Sport, that there is a good cooperation with Jonas Vingegaard. (Photo: © Bo Amstrup/Ritzau Scanpix)

Jonas Vingegaard's employer Visma-Lease a Bike downplayed the story on Sunday. According to Visma-team's sports director Grischa Niermann, it's all "blown a bit out of proportion."

- We have a really good relationship with Jonas, and we always sit together and plan the year. But there must be sacrifices if one wants to win the biggest cycling race in the world, and that knows Jonas, and that knows Trine too, said Grischa Niermann to TV 2 Sport (https://sport.tv2.dk/cykling/2025-07-06-det-er-nok-blaest-lidt-op-siger-vingegaard-chef).

To the Dutch media NOS (https://nos.nl/collectie/13993/artikel/2574028-vingegaard-over-kritiek-van-zijn-vrouw-op-visma-jullie-verspillen-je-tijd) says Jonas Vingegaard, that his wife's criticism was taken "out of context."

- She said something, and the Danish media made a story out of nothing, sounds it from cyclists to NOS.

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