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From working in a fish factory to cycling star

A new star is born.

Jonas Vingegaard impressed the world by winning the 2022 Tour de France ahead of defending champion, Tadej Pogacar.

The Dane comes from a country where its highest point is only 173 meters above sea level. Now the mountains are the natural habitat for this shy but determined cyclist, and he discovered his talent as a climber relatively late, after working for years in a fish factory.

Read on to discover more trivia about the 2022 Tour de France winner, who is not expected to be in the Vuelta a España, which starts on August 19 and ends on September 11.

READ MORE: Results of the Colombians and Spaniards in the Tour

Jonas Vingegaard worked as a fishmonger

Born in Hillerslev in northern Denmark, Vingegaard forged his character working in a fish factory in the port of Hanstholm. “I liked doing it even though I had to get up at 5 in the morning. It was relaxing because I didn’t have to think too much. I just had to put the fish in order, bring the bills…” he said to Gazzetta dello Sport.

“I didn’t need to work, but I still didn’t know if I could become a professional cyclist. I only went out for a couple of days in Denmark every week and this way I could say I was busy without getting bored.”

Football, handball and badminton: a sports fan

The Jumbo-Visma cyclist did not fall directly in love with cycling.

When he was younger, he played different sports, such as handball, swimming, and badminton.

Vingegaard never rose through the ranks in football, but remains a huge Liverpool fan, having been spotted on several occasions in the Anfield stands.

Jonas Vingegaard en route to winning his first Tour de France stage win on July 13, 2022.

Jonas Vingegaard and his extraordinary physical qualities

After seeing the Tour de Denmark peloton pass by his house, the Dane decided to give cycling a try.

He immediately excelled in a test organized by his local club for boys, and weeks later he achieved his first podium finish in a race.

Vingegaard did not stand out early in his career because Denmark’s flat and windy roads are not suitable for a ‘featherweight’ like him, but his qualities emerged as soon as he traveled to other European countries.

“I discovered my first climb when I was 16 years old in Italy. Then I realized that I was not bad at all,” he explained.

His qualities as a climber caught the attention of Jumbo-Visma after he set a record time at Coll de Rates during a training camp in Spain with his former team, ColoQuick.

a famous mother in law

Vingegaard’s mother-in-law, Rosa Kildhal, is a celebrity in Denmark.

His wife’s mother (Trine Hansen – the couple has a two-year-old daughter, Frida) achieved great popularity by participating in the television show ‘Great Danish Bake Off’. Kildhal has its own canal de Youtube and in 2018 he took part in the ‘Dancing with the stars’ of his country.

The cyclist sometimes cooks with her and is a fan of her mashed potatoes and salmon dishes.

Admirer of Alberto Contador

Danish cycling legend Bjarne Riis He was born in Herning, about 100km from Hillerslev, but the last Dane to win the Tour de France before him (in 1996, the year Vingegaard was born) was not his idol.

“I started following cycling when he had already retired,” he explained to Velo Magazine.

“My first idol was Riccardo Ricco, but my admiration vanished when he was involved in a doping case. Later, my favorite cyclist was Alberto Contador because of his attacking attitude and because he is someone who never gives up.”

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