Jonas Vingegaard addressed WADA's latest call for the use of carbon monoxide (CO) inhalation and said he would follow the guidance given after it was revealed that the team used the gas as part of its advanced training optimization. 

The Tour de France revealed that Dane's Visma-Lease A Bike team, Tadej Pogañar's UAE team Emirates and Israel-Premier Tech tested blood values using carbon monoxide rebreathers at the start and end of the altitude camp.

This is related to the alternative use of gas, which the Uci is asking the team not to continue, but is not the same.This is "repeated CO inhalation," a method that could be used to use the same equipment and increase aerobic capacity readings, according to Escape's findings.

Speaking at a press conference ahead of the 2025 season, Vingegaard revealed that he didn't even know that the 2nd, more aggressive, potential CO use existed. He then repeated that he and Visma used it only as a simple test to see if altitude camp had the desired effect. 

"I understand if it's been misused, but I didn't know it could be misused. I think I said earlier that I used it only to test if the altitude camp was working," Vingegaard said. 

"So what I've heard is that if you misuse it, it can be used as an alternative to altitude camping, and when used that way, they say there may be some health problems - but that's not the way we use it.

"But with that said, what I heard is that if you do this at once, it's like smoking a single cigarette, and I have a lot of people who smoke cigarettes every day.

The UAE responded similarly on May 7, stating that it did not use CO unethically and was only used to measure hemoglobin mass. I made it clear. But Vingegaard was frank that he has no ambition to be on the wrong side of the rule, Wada should put a blanket ban on all joint use. 

"It is a difficult question and I will not take any side on it. Of course, I follow what the UCI and WADA are saying about this," Vingegaard continued. "So if they ban it, of course, I will never do it again."

WADA HAS NOT YET RESPONDED TO UCI'S REQUEST TO TAKE AN OFFICIAL POSITION ON THE GAS USED BY THE TEAM IN CYCLING, BUT VINGEGAARD IS CONFIDENT THAT, AS OF NOW, THE LINE HAS NOT CROSSED, AS IN THE UAE. 

Vingegaard also kept his card close to his chest when talking about the schedule for the next 2025 season, despite heavy rumors that he might choose to make his debut ahead of a rematch on the tour with Giro d'Italia Poganyar. 

"That's something I can't answer yet. As I said before, we have yet to schedule," Vingegaard said when asked about the potential bid for the Giro. 

"As I said before in my career, the Giro is the race I want to ride in my career. But I can't say whether it will happen next year or next year or not. Not sure we'll take it year by year, and for now, we haven't decided anything for next year.

He is busy continuing his training in Denmark before the birth of his 2nd child, son, and Visma's 1-12 training camp on May 2. That's when the goals and races are fully mapped. For now, he has not lost his sense of humor. 

"The Giro is always an option. That was last year, too. Of course, the door is open. The doors in Flanders and Roubaix are also open, so it doesn't have to be decided yet," Dane joked as he again chose to keep the plan a secret. 

"The door is closed only after making a schedule and has not yet been finalized.

However, he confirmed that the crack at the 2025 World Championship road race held in Rwanda is what he is interested in. He still does not compete in the world at the elite level, but sees Rwanda, Canada and France as the upcoming host countries, a three-year period of courses that suit him

"Because I am thinking of the next 3, Rwanda, then Canada, and then in the French Alps. So I certainly think it's 3 good courses for me, hopefully. But for now, I think we'll only know next year and I think it's a course that suits me very well as well," Vingegaard said. 

"I think my main priority will be something different from the one-day race because I think it has been shown before that it is always good in stage races. 

"But of course, when there is such a world championship on a course that is good for me, it is an opportunity. So, of course, I would also like to do it. Hopefully I can be there and do my best.

But what is certain is that he will need to up his game from the 2024 race to reach the level of the current world champion and reigning Tour de France winner Pogagnard. 

However, Vingegaard has not lost faith after losing by 7:6:17 of the Month, and has the knowledge that it was a "miracle" that he was there even after the horror crash he sustained in the Ituria Basque Country and the recovery he received from a punctured lung, a broken rib and a broken sternum.

"Of course, if everything was perfect at this year's Tour de France and you were beaten for 6 or 7 minutes, or how much it was, it would be hard to keep faith.

"I know how bad it was. So when I know it, I also know that the preparations I had were far from ideal, so I can get better and it gives me a lot of faith in myself.

"[Pogañar] was better this year than 2022 and 2023, so I also have to be better than the year that year. If we want to win again, we have to improve next year. And of course, I'm very motivated to do it, get even better, fight every day and see if I can win again."