Jubilant Danes celebrate Tour-winner Vingegaard in Copenhagen
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Loading... - Laura Berg
- 15 Sep 2022
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Tour de France winner Jonas Vingegaard was clearly moved as he was celebrated by thousands of jubilant Danes on Wednesday in Copenhagen where the world's biggest cycling race kicked off nearly a month ago.
"It's fantastic. I'm almost completely speechless. I don't know what to say," Vingegaard said, before stepping onto a balcony where he was greeted by a throng of flag-waving Danes on Copenhagen town hall square.
The softly-spoken Vingegaard, who struggled with anxiety earlier in his career, was only the second Dane to win the world's biggest cycling race since compatriot Bjarne Riis became the first to do so in 1996.
Vingegaard and his family was flown by private plane to Denmark on Wednesday following celebrations in the Netherlands, home to his team Jumbo-Visma.
When the plane entered Danish air space, it was escorted by two F-16 fighter jets from the Danish Defence, a tradition held to honour gold-winning Danish athletes upon their return.
"We both took the day off just to come here and celebrate Vingegaard," said Rene Max Hansen, 29, waiting with his brother near the Copenhagen city hall square.
"I bike myself and just recently managed to persuade my brother to buy a racing bike. The euphoria is contagious," he said. Read More...
