Because a young generation has taken over: Jonas Vingegaard (Jumbo-Visma), Tade Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates), Egan Bernal (Ineos Grenadiers), Remco Evenepoel (Quick-Step Alpha Vinyl) and Jai Hindley (Bora-Hansgrohe) are separated by only a few years. Paris was just a foretaste of Copenhagen.
Vingegaard creates enthusiasm
After his Tour triumph, Jonas Vingegaard was celebrated by numerous Danes on the Champs-Élysées with chants, and the party is likely to escalate on Wednesday. The shy 25-year-old will then appear on the balcony of Copenhagen City Hall - the huge square in front of it is likely to turn into a madhouse.
Already on Monday the front pages of many Danish media shone in the bright yellow of the maillot jaune. "That was the most beautiful Tour de France of all time," summarised the tabloid "B.T.", Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen also joined in the euphoria. "This was an outstanding tour for Danish cycling - all the way from Copenhagen to Paris."
Denmark back in cycling fever
Denmark 2022 feels like Denmark 1996: Bjarne Riis, a Dane, had already won the glorious Tour de France back then, but as he admitted years later, he was extensively doped during his success. All that seems forgotten now that Vingegaard is coming home a triumphant rider. "It's been an incredible journey. It's very big for me," said Vingegaard, who of course emphasised that people could believe in his achievements.
The slim guy from Jutland has sent his country into an ecstasy that had seemed unthinkable in the years following Riis' doping confession. In the very year in which the Tour began in the cycling-loving Danish capital of Copenhagen, the much-described boy from the fish factory triumphed over Tadej Pogacar, who was considered unbeatable.
The leading newspaper "Policies" put Vingegaard's triumph on a par with Denmark's victory at the 1992 European Football Championships and the successes of tennis queen Caroline Wozniacki. "Jyllands-Posten" wrote: "The Tour de France was exactly what we needed in a time of war and crisis. A dream in yellow and red and white, and a fantastic Jonas Vingegaard as Tourminator."
Big competition for Vingegaard
Vingegaard can't yet estimate what lies ahead of him. Four years ago he was still working in a fish factory in Hanstholm, last year he made his remarkable Tour debut with second place and before the start in Copenhagen he was still in the shadow of captain Primoz Roglic. He has not yet drawn up a major career plan. "It's not like I have the goal of winning the Tour five times. I want to come back and try to win it again," said the 25-year-old.
He will then face a "very motivated" Tadej Pogacar (23) and other well-known competitors. A new, young generation has long since taken over in cycling. Former Tour champion Egan Bernal (25), who crashed so badly in the winter, is likely to stake a claim again. And then there is the Belgian talent of the century Remco Evenepoel (22), who is still waiting for his Tour debut. "It will be interesting in the next few years," said Pogacar and manager Ralph Denk from the Bora-Hansgrohe team added: "It looks like it's a new development. The top teams have learnt a lot about how to deal with young people."
Kämna wants to develop further
And what role can the Germans play in this youth spectacle? First and foremost is Lennard Kämna, who according to Denk is "a huge asset for us and the cycling fans". The 25-year-old has made a name for himself as a stage hunter so far. In 2020, he won the Tour in Villard-de-Lans, this year at the Giro d'Italia on Mount Etna. Can we do more? "We will discuss with him whether we dare to ride for the overall classification in a Grand Tour. But there's no pressure from the team," Denk told dpa.
Kämna himself can also imagine it, but believes that he still has "one or two steps to go". In any case, in addition to the former junior world champion, Bora is well positioned for the future with young cyclists such as Giro winner Jay Hindley and Russian Tour fifth Aleksandr Vlasov (both 26).
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