The Tour de France chief’s yellow jersey sits on Tadej Pogačar’s shoulders, however Jonas Vingegaard will imagine the momentum of this Tour is with him because the race reaches the Pyrenees. The defending champion will attain the foot of the Col du Tourmalet on Saturday in third place total, 1:14 off Pogačar, however buoyed by his stage victory at Le Lioran in midweek.
“We go right into a terrain that fits me a bit extra, so we’re wanting ahead to the upcoming days,” Vingegaard stated in Pau after stage 13, the place he completed within the entrance group on the finish of a fraught day that noticed the peloton splinter at varied factors on the street south from Agen.
“I really feel excellent. Right now ended up being a great day for us, we did not lose any time. Now hopefully we are able to get better for tomorrow after which we’ll see.”
Restoration has been the motif of Vingegaard’s Tour so far. His prospects of chasing a 3rd straight title appeared slim when he suffered a punctured lung and damaged collarbone in a mass crash at Itzulia Basque Nation in early April. “I actually believed I used to be going to die three months in the past,” Vingegaard stated earlier this week.
Visma-Lease a Bike solely confirmed Vingegaard’s Tour participation ten days earlier than the race, however he gave an early indication of his health by going toe to toe with Pogačar on the San Luca on stage 2. Though Vingegaard conceded floor to Pogačar at Valloire and within the stage 7 time trial, his startling show at Le Lioran, when he in some way closed a 35-second hole to the yellow jersey, had the texture of a turning level.
Some observers, thoughts, had been anticipating a downturn in Vingegaard’s performances within the second half of the Tour given his disrupted preparation. He did not race between Itzulia Basque Nation and the Grand Départ. Exact particulars about his preparation have been sparingly communicated till he joined his teammates for a pre-Tour camp in Isola 2000, however it appears clear that Vingegaard spent much less time coaching at altitude than in 2022 or 2023.
“Jonas Vingegaard may go effectively at first, however he’ll pay the invoice ultimately, in any other case I do not perceive something about biking anymore,” five-time winner Bernard Hinault stated earlier than the Tour.
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A yr in the past, Vingegaard gave the impression to be the Eliud Kipchoge of biking, instantly and stunningly overwhelming Pogačar within the last third of their marathon duel to assert an emphatic total victory. Visma-Lease a Bike directeur sportif Arthur van Dongen conceded that Vingegaard’s capacity to remain the course at this yr’s Tour is relatively much less sure, regardless of exceeding his expectations so far.
“We’ll see how he feels on the finish of a Grand Tour with out, in idea, the very best preparation like he had up to now – altitude, Dauphiné, altitude,” Van Dongen stated in Agen on Friday. “That is additionally a query mark – how recent he can be within the final week? However for now, it is OK.”
The Pyrenean doubleheader will reveal extra. Saturday’s brief stage takes within the Col du Tourmalet and a summit end at Pla d’Adet, whereas stage 15 is an extended haul with one other demanding finale atop Plateau de Beille.
“In idea, will probably be extra for Jonas as a result of he has much less kilograms [than Pogačar – ed.], however it’s additionally in regards to the legs and the way you’re feeling within the race,” Van Dongen stated.
“First, we are going to see what occurs on Saturday after which we are going to plan for Sunday. However the powerful levels within the third week can be very, essential. I believe these days will make the most important distinction.”
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Whereas Vingegaard’s show at Le Lioran recommended he has the situation to push Pogačar all the best way to Good – “He’s within the type of his life,” the yellow jersey stated – it is relatively much less clear if he has a workforce to assist him do it. Visma arrived at this Tour, in any case, with out a number of of their deliberate choice, with Steven Kruijswijk and Dylan van Baarle compelled out by harm and Sepp Kuss dominated out by sickness.
Their limitations, no less than relative to UAE, have been uncovered on the Galibier on stage 4 and once more at Puy Mary on stage 11 when Vingegaard was shorn of his teammates by the forcing of Pogačar’s guard. In 2022, Vingegaard might lean on Kuss, Primož Roglič and a supersonic Wout van Aert to place Pogačar below strain. This outing, Pogačar has the extra dependable supporting forged, Juan Ayuso’s abandon as a consequence of COVID-19 however.
“We’re not afraid, however it’s true that we are going to miss some particular key riders in our techniques, like Steven Kruijswijk or Sepp Kuss,” Van Dongen stated. “We’ll miss them lots however nonetheless in the long run will probably be more often than not a struggle between the massive favourites, between Jonas, Tadej and Remco [Evenepoel].”
Matteo Jorgenson, second on the Critérium du Dauphiné final month, seems to be Vingegaard’s most dependable help within the mountains, although the American was comparatively subdued on the Puy Mary within the face of UAE’s onslaught. “He was dropped a bit too early two days in the past for his personal feeling, however it was perhaps only a unhealthy day,” Van Dongen stated. “However he could be necessary for Jonas, to help him so long as doable.”
Two years in the past, Vingegaard cast his Tour victory together with his workforce’s offensive on the Galibier, whereas in 2023, he constructed his problem across the Combloux time trial and the mighty Col de la Loze in week three.
This outing, the playbook appears a little bit extra advert hoc. Visma’s overarching concept, it appears, is to maintain Vingegaard within the hunt till the arduous last troika of levels subsequent week, when summit finishes at Isola 2000 and the Col de la Couillole are adopted by the final day time trial to Good.
“That is numerous idea, however first we’ve got to do that weekend after which do the levels subsequent week earlier than the time trial,” Van Dongen stated. “There’s nonetheless lots arising, so it is too early to foretell, however within the time trial, we are able to see huge variations. The parcours is troublesome and after three weeks, effectively, we have already got the expertise with Primož on the Planche des Belles Filles… Different guidelines rely then.”
