u/Due_Spring_2816

Yesterday it was announced that Jonas Vingegaard will not race again this season. I saw plenty of positive reactions, but also a surprising amount of negativity.

People were calling him a “part-time cyclist,” saying he only rides easy or selective seasons, and some were even blaming him for not trying to win Monuments. Others went as far as saying he isn’t really an all-time top rider because his focus is mainly on stage races and Grand Tours.

But I honestly don’t really understand that criticism.

Since the 2025 Tour de France, Vingegaard has participated in every Grand Tour. In 2026 alone, he raced 51 race days, won 12 professional races, and won the Giro d’Italia overall.

That doesn’t exactly sound like someone who barely races.

Sure, he doesn’t chase the Monuments like Pogačar does, and his calendar is clearly built around stage races and Grand Tours. But why is that suddenly seen as a weakness? Different riders have different specialties.

Why do you think Vingegaard gets so much criticism for his schedule? Is it simply because people compare him to Pogačar, whose calendar and skillset are much broader?

Yesterday it was announced that Jonas Vingegaard will not race again this season. I saw plenty of positive reactions, but also a surprising amount of negativity.

People were calling him a “part-time cyclist,” saying he only rides easy or selective seasons, and some were even blaming him for not trying to win Monuments. Others went as far as saying he isn’t really an all-time top rider because his focus is mainly on stage races and Grand Tours.

But I honestly don’t really understand that criticism.

Since the 2025 Tour de France, Vingegaard has participated in every Grand Tour. In 2026 alone, he raced 51 race days, won 12 professional races, and won the Giro d’Italia overall.

That doesn’t exactly sound like someone who barely races.

Sure, he doesn’t chase the Monuments like Pogačar does, and his calendar is clearly built around stage races and Grand Tours. But why is that suddenly seen as a weakness? Different riders have different specialties.

Why do you think Vingegaard gets so much criticism for his schedule? Is it simply because people compare him to Pogačar, whose calendar and skillset are much broader?

I’m a 25-year-old guy, and I’ve had a pretty on-and-off relationship with Tinder. I’ve deleted and reinstalled it many times, bought Platinum for a month once, and occasionally paid for Gold as well.

Recently, I decided to create a new profile again. I quickly received eight likes, but I have a feeling that some or even all of them might be fake accounts or inactive profiles. I can’t actually check, because I haven’t paid for a subscription this time.

It makes me wonder whether Tinder deliberately shows men questionable likes to convince them to pay, or whether the app simply doesn’t work very well for me.

What has your experience been? Is Tinder genuinely useful for an average guy, or is it mostly designed to keep you paying?

Whenever I’m in the Ardennes, I notice how relaxed many people seem. When you pass someone while hiking or walking through a village, they almost always say “bonjour” or “bonsoir.” Greeting people also seems much more natural in shops and cafés.

In Flanders, I often feel that people are more rushed, stay in their own bubble, and are less likely to make eye contact or greet a stranger. Of course, there are unfriendly people in the Ardennes and very friendly people in Flanders too, so I’m not trying to generalize.

Could it mainly be because the villages are smaller, life is slower, and there is less anonymity? Or is greeting people and making social contact simply more deeply rooted in French-speaking culture?

It could also be that I’m in holiday mode whenever I’m there, so I experience everything differently. Has anyone else noticed this difference?

I’m 25 years old and currently staying near Rochehaut with my family. My 79-year-old great-uncle would like to do the Les Échelles hike with me, and his 10-year-old grandchild also wants to join us.

My great-uncle is still quite fit for his age and walks well, but I’m unsure whether the route would be safe for him because of the steep sections, rocks and metal ladders. I would also be the only younger adult there, so I would have to keep an eye on both him and the child.

Another concern is that we barely speak French, so if something went wrong or we needed help, communicating with local people or emergency services could be difficult.

Has anyone done Les Échelles with an older person or a child? Do you think it would be safe if they are both fit, wear proper hiking shoes and we take it slowly? Are there any particularly dangerous sections, or places where it is possible to turn back?

I would really appreciate honest advice from people who know the route.

I had been planning for several weeks to do a proper hike with some elevation during my holiday in the Belgian Ardennes. I regularly hike in Flanders, mainly around the Leuven area, but the terrain there is obviously much flatter. This was therefore my first real experience hiking in the Ardennes.

I had planned a route on my computer starting from Alle-sur-Semois and heading in the direction of Frahan before returning. One thing I learned is that creating a route on a map is not enough. You also need to research what the terrain is actually like, especially when hiking alone.

At first, I followed a wider path that was clearly being used by both cyclists and walkers. Eventually, I followed a trail marker that was supposed to take me farther through the forest.

That was where my first proper forest climb began. The climb itself went fine, but the path was very narrow, with an extremely steep drop next to it. It felt almost like a ravine, and I thought that a serious fall there could have major consequences.

Farther along the trail, I reached a small emergency-location sign. I cannot remember the exact code or number on it, but it also displayed 112, the European emergency number.

Shortly afterwards, I saw that the trail continued down a steep, rocky descent. At that moment, I thought: No, I am not going to risk this alone.

I did not know the terrain, and my family did not know exactly where I was. My family was staying in the area, but they are not particularly active hikers. They might walk around the village, but they would not normally enter the forest or know these trails. If something happened, they would therefore have had difficulty finding me.

Another factor was the language barrier. My French is quite limited, while French is the main language spoken in this part of the Ardennes. I knew that if I became lost, injured myself or needed to explain my location, communicating with someone could be more difficult.

Taking all of that into account, I decided not to take an unnecessary risk merely to satisfy my ego. I turned around and returned to a wider and more familiar-looking route.

Of course, once you are safely back, you start questioning yourself. Maybe the descent was perfectly manageable. Maybe I could have continued and completed the route. Unfortunately, I did not take a photograph of that section, so I cannot show exactly what it looked like.

In the end, I still completed 8.6 kilometres with 167 metres of elevation gain. However, part of me feels disappointed because this was supposed to be my first real Ardennes hike, and I did not complete the route I originally planned.

I will still be staying in the Ardennes for several more days, and I want to continue exploring the area, probably using routes with clearer descriptions of their difficulty and terrain.

What would you take away from this experience? Was turning back a sensible decision, or are steep, rocky descents simply something I need to become accustomed to? How do you decide whether a technical section is still responsible to attempt when hiking solo?

I'm 25M and I've realised one of my biggest problems with dating apps is that I barely have any genuinely good photos of myself.

I do normal things: gym, hiking, cooking, seeing friends. But somehow I rarely end up with good pictures. Even with friends, we don't really take many photos. If someone does, it's usually one quick shot and “yeah, looks fine” lol.

I also know almost nothing about photography and use a Samsung A23.

How do other guys actually get good, natural dating app photos? Do you ask friends to take lots of pictures, use a tripod or timer, record video and take frames, or ask strangers?

For example, I'm going on a solo hike in the Ardennes soon. I'd love a good hiking photo, but when you're alone, what do you do? Ask a random hiker? And how do you pose without looking awkward or staged?

I'm not trying to fake a lifestyle. I just feel my current photos don't represent me well.

Guys who had the same problem: what did you change?

I'm a 25M and I've realized that one of my biggest problems with dating apps is simply that I don't really have many good photos of myself.

It's not that I never go anywhere or don't do anything. I go to the gym, hike, cook, spend time with friends and do normal things. But somehow, I rarely end up with genuinely good pictures of myself.

Even when I'm with friends, taking pictures just isn't really something we do much. And when someone does take a photo, it's usually one quick picture, they look at it and say “yeah, that's fine” lol. Then I look at it afterwards and realize the angle, lighting or timing is terrible.

I also honestly know almost nothing about photography. I use a Samsung Galaxy A23 that's around three years old, so I'm not walking around with an expensive iPhone or professional camera either.

I'm starting to wonder how other guys actually get good, natural-looking pictures for dating apps. Do you actively ask friends to take multiple pictures of you? Do you tell them how to take the photo? Do you use a tripod, timer or record videos and take frames from them?

The same question applies to hobbies. For example, I'm going on a solo hike in the Ardennes soon. That's something I genuinely enjoy and it would make sense to have a good photo of me hiking. But when you're alone, what do you actually do? Ask a random hiker to take several pictures? And how do you pose without suddenly looking awkward or overly staged?

I'm not looking to create a fake lifestyle or pretend to be someone I'm not. I just feel like my current photos don't represent me very well.

For guys who used to have mostly bad or average photos: what did you actually change? How did you start getting genuinely good pictures of yourself?

I have a fear of slugs and I know it sounds ridiculous

Since I was a kid, I’ve had this weird fear of slugs, especially big naked slugs you suddenly see in the woods.

I know they don’t do anything. They’re slow, harmless, and basically the least threatening animal possible. But still, whenever I see one, I instantly get startled and feel disgusted/panicky. It’s like my brain knows it’s harmless, but my body reacts before I can think.

Most people talk about having phobias of spiders, snakes or heights, but for me it’s slugs. I think it probably started somewhere in childhood, but I don’t remember one clear moment.

Does anyone else have this? Or am I the only person whose final boss is a slimy forest slug? How can i change this.