Jonas Vingegaard's coach, Tim Heemskerk, has left Visma-Lease a Bike, the Dutch team announced on Monday, with all riders under his guidance set to be assigned a new performance coach.
The Dutchman cited how he was struggling to apply the same "creativity and passion" which had seen him succeed as a coach in the recent period, and admitted that he needed to be honest about his position on the team.
Heemskerk and Vingegaard both joined Visma ahead of the 2019 season and have worked together ever since, winning two Tours de France, the Vuelta a España and 42 races during their coaching collaboration.
"Over the past period, I have noticed that I was struggling to continue applying my creativity and passion, which are important to me in my work as a coach," said Heemskerk on the team's website.
"That was the moment for me to be honest with myself and with the team. I look back with pride on the growth of the team, myself, and the riders, including of course Jonas. In the coming period, I will take some time for myself and reflect on my future."
Heemskerk's decision to leave comes after Vingegaard's 2026 season start was derailed by a crash in training and illness, forcing him to pull out of the UAE Tour. His first race is now set to be at the Volta a Catalunya, starting on March 23.
"We are extremely grateful to Tim for the contribution he has made to the team over the past years," said team Head of Performance, Mathieu Heijboer.
"He has played a major role in the development of the training philosophy we apply within the team and in achieving our sporting results. Over the past period, I have had many conversations with Tim, and I believe this is the best outcome. I wish him all the best in the next stage of his career."
Other riders under Heemskerk's supervision in recent years include Matteo Jorgenson and the recently retired Simon Yates.
