“He’s doing it again!” says Karina Vingegaard, tears rolling down her cheeks as she clasps her head in her hands. Karina and I, along with her husband, Claus, have just watched their only son Jonas hurtle past us in a blaze of yellow and black as he thunders down the valley road towards Laruns, putting serious time into his rival Tadej Pogačar as he attempts to defend the Tour de France title.
For me, for you, it’s a journey that began less than a week ago. Or maybe, a journey that began a year ago when he won his first Tour so emphatically. But Karina’s moistened cheeks are a stark reminder that for her it’s a journey that started well over a decade ago. It’s impossible not to be moved by it. My eyes begin to well up. Moments ago we sat quietly around their iPad screen enjoying an afternoon drink as we watched the race unfold. Now the two people that had been calm, collected and relaxed a moment
