Denmark’s Jonas Vinggaard has won his second straight Tour De France title at the Champs-Elysees in Paris, France. The Jumbo-Visma cyclist received a hero’s welcome back home in Denmark, where he met a mammoth crowd of adoring fans. The crowd cheered his name as he met the fans from a height at the Copenhagen City Hall. With most of the crowd either dressed in the red and white of the Danish flag or the yellow of Vingegaard’s jersey, the streets surrounding the city hall were completely blocked off.
Vingegaard is already one of the most famous people in his country. Almost a million people from Denmark tuned into the final stretch of the iconic race to watch their countryman cross the finish line ahead of Slovenia’s Tadej Pogacar. In a country of only 5.8 million people, nearly one in six people watched the historic finish. Vingegaard became the second Dane to win the Tour De France since Bjarne Riis (who later admitted to doping).
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Vingegaard said, “It’s still hard to understand that I have won the Tour de France two years in a row. If someone had told me five years ago, I don’t think I would have believed it, or I know I wouldn’t have.” The cyclist isn’t just famous for his athletic achievements but also his humble persona, with many of his fans citing his down-to-earth personality and honest outlook as a significant contributor to their support of him.
Vingegaard records largest winning margin in Tour De France since 2014
The Danish cyclist secured the largest winning margin in the race for nearly 10 years, finishing 7 minutes and 29 seconds ahead of second-placed Pogacar, who won the race in 2020 and 2021. The 21-day race covered 3,405 km, including the race’s famously gruelling mountain tracks over five mountain ranges. Vingegaard managed to secure his win thanks in no small part due to strong performances over two stages in the Alps.
Vingegaard, who is 26, started his career with youth cycling teams in Denmark’s countryside. He made a breakout after signing with UCI Continental team ColoQuick-Cult in 2016 and joined his current team Jumbo-Visma in 2019.
