Vingegaard’s vow: “We are totally clean”

Jonas Vingegaard had of course expected this question in the hour of triumph. And was well prepared. A US journalist wanted to know whether one could trust his performance at the Tour de France. “We are totally clean. All of us. I can speak for the entire team. None of us take anything forbidden,” said the designated winner of the 109th Tour of France and at the same time explained what his Jumbo-Visma team does better than others. “We are so good because of our preparation. We have further developed altitude training camps. We look at the material, the nutrition, the training. The team is one of the best in these points. That’s why you have to believe us.”

The question of the legitimacy of the achievements is firmly rooted in the recent history of cycling. All of the Tour winners this century were asked the question, sometimes answering in detail, sometimes taciturnly. Or just stroppy like Vingegaard's teammate Wout van Aert. “This is such a bullshit question. It comes every time someone wins the Tour. Because we are so good, we have to justify ourselves? I don’t understand it,” said the Belgian, after all a multiple stage winner and designated winner of the green jersey on this tour.

Perhaps Vingegaard understands the question better - just from the historical context. The 25-year-old was not yet born when Bjarne Riis became the first Dane to win the Tour in 1996 and started the boom in the country that Germany experienced a year later with Jan Ullrich. In 2007, Riis finally broke the hearts of his compatriots when he confessed to doping with an almost brazen indifference. Celebrations in Copenhagen There will be a reception for Vingegaard on Wednesday in Copenhagen's Town Hall Square - as there was once for Riis. “I'm really looking forward to the week. It will definitely be very stressful, but also very exciting,” said Vingegaard. It is up to him to give his words on doping credibility in the years to come. He will be asked the question about the clean Tour winner again and again.

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Vingegaard’s vow: “We are totally clean”

The obligatory doping question was skillfully moderated by the designated tour winner Jonas Vingegaard. However, his teammate Wout van Aert's nerves weren't in such good shape.

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