Jonas Vingegaard (Visma | Lease a Bike) has described Simon Yates' abrupt retirement as a "wake-up call" for professional cycling, saying that the sport's demands are becoming increasingly difficult for riders to manage.
Speaking to Dutch broadcaster NOS on Tuesday, the two-time Tour de France champion said he understood why Yates, 33, walked away from the sport just months after winning the 2025 Giro d'Italia.
"Perhaps this is a wake-up call for all of us in the cycling world," Vingegaard said. "OK, maybe people shouldn't burn out like that."
However, Vingegaard argued that the team's management of him, and eagerness for him to take on his Giro-Tour double attempt in 2026, have allowed his motivation to outpace any sense of burnout.
"For me now, the team listened and understood that I needed to do something different," he said in the interview. "That's something that will keep me motivated and listening to my needs is something that makes it even better."
Yates announced his immediate retirement on January 7, surprising many in the cycling world. Despite being tipped to lead Visma at Paris-Nice and support Vingegaard at the Tour de France, the Briton ended his career mid-contract after his most successful season in years. His official statement spoke of "deep pride and a sense of peace" but offered no specific explanation.
Vingegaard's comments echo his stance last summer, and follow a minor media storm that brewed around comments his wife made on the subject. In July 2025, his wife and manager Trine Marie Hansen told Politiken that the team's scientific approach was reaching a breaking point. "I'm afraid he's burning the candle at both ends," she said. "People squeeze the lemon too much now."
At the time, Vingegaard told reporters the concerns were "blown out of proportion" and that they were "wasting their time" pursuing the story.
In his latest interview, he pointed to the isolation of altitude camps, where top riders spend extended periods throughout the year, and the constant monitoring of sleep, nutrition and heart rate variability. Hansen had previously noted that the family was home in Denmark for only ten days during the entire racing season.
"It can backfire," Hansen warned in that July interview. "People sometimes forget the whole person."
Yates' departure affects Visma's 2026 plans, with performance director Grischa Niermann saying there was "no replacement."
