It\u2019s one of the weirdest celebrations in cycling, so what exactly is Jonas Vingegaard doing?<\/p>\n
Many winning riders cross the line with extravagant gestures, outstretched arms and sometimes even primal roars of satisfaction and dominance.<\/p>\n
Not Friday\u2019s Giro stage winner, who instead performed one of the most understated of gestures.<\/p>\n
He pounded the pedals, glanced backwards and, just as he crossed the line at Blockhaus, crouched low and kissed his handlebars three times.<\/p>\n
Performative it was not. So what\u2019s it all about?<\/p>\n
In a word, family.<\/p>\n
When Vingegaard the second grand tour stage win of his career back in the 2022 Tour de France, he topped Hautacam and blew a kiss. That was directed at his family rather than those standing by the finish line, something made clear by his victory celebrations in other years.<\/p>\n
In most of the subsequent eight grand tour stage wins, he has hailed those successes by smooching his wedding ring.<\/p>\n
Friday\u2019s handlebar-snogging antics were different, but they came from the same place.<\/p>\n
As Danish media outlet Feltet.dk noted his week, his bars feature a picture of his wife Trine Marie Hansen, his daughter Frida and his son Hugo.<\/p>\n
In fact, he made the same victory gesture in March of this year when he took stages in Paris-Nice.<\/p>\n
So will it catch on? We are not sure about that, given the explosion of emotion most other grand tour stage winners feel.<\/p>\n
Vinegaard, though, is an introvert, and a very different character to more swashbuckling riders such as Tadej Poga\u010dar.<\/p>\n
But even if his actions Friday come across less alpha male and more devoted dad, there\u2019s no doubting the sincerity.<\/p>\n
For him, it\u2019s family over fiesta every time.<\/p>\n\n
Check out each of Jonas Vingegaard\u2019s ten grand tour stage wins below.<\/p>\n