The Dutch team concluded their Tour de France campaign with Jonas Vingegaard on the podium and took ample time through their official channels to thank all the riders from the Tour team. Tadej Pogacar also received a note of thanks.
"For a moment, we feared for your life. You have shown us what a fighter you are. You have made not only us proud but the entire world," reads a message directed at team leader Vingegaard. "You may not have won the Tour de France, but you have won our hearts. You are a true inspiration, showing those who struggle that perseverance always pays off. You can be very proud of this second place."
Wout van Aert, Bart Lemmen, and Matteo Jorgenson were also highlighted. For the Belgian rider, they reflected on his crash in Dwars door Vlaanderen and his recovery leading up to the Tour. "We cried over your tears in the spring. You fell, got up, fought, and kept going. You couldn’t pursue your personal goals in the classics, but you were eager to be part of the Tour team. There you were, as often, serving your teammate. That symbolizes you; you are a superhuman."
Read more below the videos
Lemmen is praised for his fantastic Tour debut, and Jorgenson for his eighth place in the general classification. And then there are Tadej Pogacar and Remco Evenepoel, who receive kind words from their major rival. "Tadej and Remco, thank you for the great battle over the past weeks. You are champions. Sport would be nothing without beautiful rivalries. We tried to beat you and enjoyed the fight. Sport is beautiful when you can admit that someone else is better at this moment. A well-deserved victory for Tadej and a fantastic third place for Remco. We hope to see you back in the 2025 Tour."
That’s also the message directed at the cycling fans. "We may not have won, but we hope we have won your hearts. We fought and finished without regrets. We always want to win, and if we can’t, we will go down fighting. We came to win but knew it would be difficult due to challenges in our preparation. Our perseverance made a difference in the past weeks. We hope you enjoyed it."