Mathieu Heijboer will coach Jonas Vingegaard (Visma | Lease a Bike) going forward, after Visma | Lease a Bike confirmed the departure of long-time performance coach Tim Heemskerk.
The departure of Vingegaard's coach was the latest in a string of unfortunate events for the Dane, which included a crash during training camp and subsequent illness that saw him withdraw from the UAE Tour.
Initially reported by Wielerflits, Heijboer – a fixture of the team's performance staff since 2008 and current Head of Performance – now directly oversees both Vingegaard and Wout van Aert (Visma | Lease a Bike), the squad's two highest-profile riders.
The team operates a centralised performance structure, meaning Heijboer has had oversight of Vingegaard's training data and methodology throughout the Dane's time on the roster. He led the staff that Heemskerk was part of, and will be acutely aware of Vingegaard's abilities and progress.
His first competitive outing under the new arrangement is likely to Volta a Catalunya in late March.
Heemskerk, who worked with Vingegaard from late 2018 and guided him to two Tour de France titles (2022, 2023) and the 2025 Vuelta a España, said he chose to leave after feeling he could no longer bring the necessary "creativity and passion" to the role in a post on Instagram.
"That was the moment for me to be honest with myself and with the team," Heemskerk said. "I look back with pride on the growth of the team, myself, and the riders, including of course Jonas."
Heijboer described the separation as the "best outcome" following extensive discussions, and praised Heemskerk's "major role in the development of the training philosophy we apply within the team."
Timing questioned
Former Danish national coach Anders Lund told Feltet.dk the mid-February timing was "not optimal." He argued an off-season transition would have allowed a full training cycle under the new arrangement, and flagged the psychological impact of losing a trusted coaching relationship during injury recovery.
The team's defence rests on its unified philosophy. "The philosophy we follow as a team is the same for everyone," Heijboer has said previously. Because the coaching structure is collaborative rather than siloed, the shift in Vingegaard's day-to-day contact should not radically alter his training regimen.
Still, Heijboer now carries significant responsibility. Any underperformance from Vingegaard at the Tour de France or from Van Aert in the spring Classics will inevitably be viewed through the lens of this reshuffle.
