Riding a bicycle - Competition for the tour's exciting event
Jonas Vingegaard should've been cheering enthusiastically to the crowd in a French village named Saint-Pourçain-sur-Sioule on Sunday. This was the starting location of the popular event known as the Critérium du Dauphiné, an important precursor to the Tour de France happening a month later. Vingegaard is the defending champion in this well-known cycling race.
Sadly, the spotlight shone on four significant cyclists, but their experiences were quite different. All this unfolded after a nasty collision during the Basque Country Tour on the 4th of April, where Vingegaard, Remco Evenepoel, and Primoz Roglic were involved. While Roglic and Evenepoel prepare themselves for the Dauphiné, Vingegaard is still nursing his injuries in Mallorca and the Alps. Meanwhile, Tadej Pogacar, who's fresh off his success at the Giro d'Italia, is having a much-needed rest in his hometown of Monaco.
Uncertain Future for Vingegaard in the Tour
The Holy Grail in the world of cycling is a question mark for Vingegaard. It's unclear if he'll even compete in the Tour at all. Mathieu Heijboer, Vingegaard's team manager at Visma-Lease a bike, is as baffled as the rest of us. They dream ofwinning the Tour with Vingegaard, as they have in the previous two years. As of now, Vingegaard is on track to begin a training camp in Tignes, France. But there's still some apprehension since he hasn't exactly reached his peak. "It's progressing towards a more normal training schedule," commented his personal trainer, Tim Heemskerk.
Evenepoel, on the other hand, is recovering from a broken shoulder blade and collarbone. While he may not be Ferrari-fast in the Dauphiné, his goal is simply to find his race rhythm again before debuting at the Tour.
Roglic - Dauphiné's Unequivocal Favorite
If any of these competitors might be victorious in the Dauphiné, it appears to be none other than Roglic. The Slovenian, a promising asset to his new team of Bora-hansgrohe, made a quick recovery without any broken bones. His sports director, Rolf Aldag, shares his optimism: "He feels not only good but also the training data seem spotless. Now he just needs to adapt to the fact I'll be spending more time with him in the next two months."
Vingegaard or Evenepoel needn't have to rattle off every mile of the Dauphiné to conquer the Tour. The likes of Miguel Indurain, Christopher Froome, and Bradley Wiggins proved that the Tour de France can be won without racing in the Dauphiné.
Pogacar Hits the Pause Button
Pogacar, a front-runner hoping to double up at the Giro-Tour this year, decided to reserve his energy for the tour. Instead, he'll spend a lovely weekend at his hideaway in Monaco before heading to an altitude training camp in the Alps for a good 19 days.
Given Vingegaard's fitness status and Evenepoel's lack of experience, Roglic is now the most formidable rival to Pogacar at the Tour de France. Could this year bring the probably desired revenge for Roglic, who narrowly missed out on the win during the 2020's final time trial against Pogacar? The final stage, from Monaco to Nice, is indeed a time trial.
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