Visma | Lease a Bike surprises by bringing Vingegaard to Clasica San Sebastián, Dane to race with Kooij in Poland

Jonas Vingegaard will lead Visma | Lease a Bike in the Clasica San Sebastián on Saturday. The Dane has also been confirmed for the Tour of Poland, starting on Monday. However, the one-day race in Spain was not initially on his post-Tour de France schedule.

Vingegaard finished second in the Tour de France after three sensational weeks. He won a stage and briefly challenged Tadej Pogacar, but due to his crash in the Tour of the Basque Country, he couldn't fully compete with the Slovenian. After the finish in Nice, Vingegaard admitted to being completely exhausted, but after three weeks out of the spotlight, he’s now back. "I feel fresh for these two special races," Vingegaard said in a press release.

"I was very tired after the Tour. For five days, I did absolutely nothing. I recharged my batteries and then started training again. Everything went well," he continued. "The race in San Sebastián and the Tour of Poland are two beautiful races. Moreover, I have a special bond with Poland. It was where I achieved my first victory in the WorldTour. It feels like I still have something to prove there. In 2019, I won the queen stage. I then started in the leader’s jersey, but I couldn’t secure the overall victory. I am determined to win this year, but of course, the competition is not to be underestimated."

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Vingegaard and Kooij together in Poland, who will join him in the Basque Country?

Vingegaard's decision to compete in the Clasica San Sebastián is noteworthy. He returns to the place where things went terribly wrong in April. "Fortunately, I also have many good memories of that region, so I am really looking forward to racing there again. In San Sebastián, the hardest parts are at the end of the race. In Poland, the beginning will also be very tough. There is a very challenging stage at the end of the race too, so we will need to stay focused all week. I hope to compete for the highest possible result in both races."

In the Tour of Poland, Vingegaard will be accompanied by Olav Kooij. The sprinting powerhouse aims to win a stage, as he did in 2022 and 2023, according to team director Maarten Wynants. "With Olav, we are aiming for a stage win again. That has worked out in the past two years as well. We first want to try to win at least one stage. Then we’ll see. It’s clear that we are at the start line with ambition. Of course, we are going for the general classification with Jonas. He has some unfinished business in Poland. We’ll see how he has recovered after the Tour, but he is definitely very motivated."

In the Clasica San Sebastián, Vingegaard will be supported by Sepp Kuss, Tom Gloag, Milan Vader, Julien Vermote, Dylan van Baarle and Wilco Kelderman.