Tour leader Vingegaard is granted no rest during the race
Jonas Vingegaard, the Defender, will take part in the Tour de France despite a severe accident he had about three months ago. The preliminary stage will give a clear picture of his actual performance level. Tadej Pogacar is Vingegaard's most formidable competitor.
Vingegaard is back in the race, setting up a massive confrontation at the Tour de France: Jonas Vingegaard aced the time trial, challenging his primary adversary Tadej Pogačar for the Yellow Jersey at the 111th Tour de France. Vingegaard's team, Visma-Lease a Bike, announced his participation three months after his severe crash, but they've kept anticipations under control. Wout van Aert, who has been out injured for a while, will also participate.
Vingegaard heads towards the Grand Depart in Florence on June 29 with a pinch of uncertainty. Since his major crash on the fourth stage of the Vuelta a España in early April, he has not competed in any races. "We obviously don't know how far it will go this time. And we will be cautious because he couldn't train before the Tour. But he will be there, healthy and motivated," said Sport Director Martijn Zeeman. Zeeman also expressed pride in Vingegaard and his trainer team: "He has shown in the past few weeks what kind of champion he is, mentally and physically."
It won't be easy from the start
After Vingegaard, the 2022 and 2023 Tour winner, comes a prolonged recovery period. In addition to a pelvic fracture, he also suffered several rib fractures. Vingegaard also had a lung contusion and a pneumothorax. It was the toughest setback in his career. He left the hospital in Vitoria-Gasteiz after twelve days of hospitalization, and since May, he has been training rigorously, mostly at high altitude.
The preliminary stage will show Vingegaard's true potential. The 206-kilometer long stage to Rimini includes seven second and third category mountain climbs. By the fourth day, when it goes over the legendary Col du Galibier, any weaknesses will be capitalized on. The training data generated by Vingegaard should be promising. After all, Vingegaard, as Sport Director Frans Maassen underscored, will only compete if "he is 100% fit when the Tour starts. I don't think he will compete if it's about the top 10."
Two crucial teammates are absent for Vingegaard
Vingegaard's greatest rival is undoubtedly Pogacar. The Slovenian is aiming for his third overall victory and the rare Giro-Tour Double after his triumph in Rome at the end of May. Since then, Pogacar has solely focused on Tour preparation. On paper, he has a stronger team for success in UAE Emirates. Nils Politt from Cologne is among them. However, Vingegaard will miss Dylan van Baarle and Steven Kruijswijk due to accidents.
Anyway: Van Aert, who won the Green Jersey two years ago and is one of the most versatile riders in the peloton, is ready. Whether Van Aert can tap into his usual power at the Tour is yet to be seen. The 29-year-old suffered a crash in the spring and had not raced for weeks after that.
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Tadej Pogacar, the Slovenian cyclist known for his successes, is expected to be a formidable competitor at this year's Tour de France, just like he was in previous years. Despite Jonas Vingegaard's impressive win in the time trial and challenge for the Yellow Jersey, Tadej Pogacar's expertise in cycling, particularly in the Tour de France, makes him a significant contender.
