Vingegaard attacks in the first stage and then sprints with Pogacar. Pogacar jokingly asks him if he wants to become a sprinter and Vingegaard laughs. Then the time trial and the Dane who does better than the Slovenian. Al Criterium du Dauphine The mountains are still to be tackled, but it's clear that those two are studying each otherNothing that is happening in France these days can be considered decisive, a different kind of music will be played at the Tour, but it is a fact that the Dane from Visma-Lease a Bike, who defeated Pogacar at the Tour in 2022 and 2023, presents himself to the challenge with better credentials than last year.
Before the start of the French race underway, which saw yesterdayEvenepoel's victory in the Saint Peray time trialVingegaard spoke to a group of journalists. We summarized a very long meeting, which clearly revealed his unique personality.
On technical improvements
The goal is to bring to the Tour The best Vingegaard ever: it can't be otherwise if he wants to beat PogacarThey talked about it at length within the team, starting with the 2024 success Jonas had achieved as the outgoing Tour winner.
«Before the accident last year – he explained – My power numbers were very good and I hadn't reached my target weight yet. So it was more about getting back to that level. Because of the accident I lost a lot of muscle mass: at the Tour I was light, but I didn't have my usual powerThat's why we worked to regain power and then take another step forward from there. We also changed a few things. For example, it was reported in the media that I switched to 150mm cranks.Every year we try to improve our equipment, maybe even the way we prepare for the Tour, but obviously that's not something I want to talk about in detail. We'll just have to wait and see if it works."
Between training and racing
Last year's crash in the Basque Country ruined the preparation for the Tour. This year's concussion at Paris-Nice caused him to miss a week, but the impact on preparation was decidedly less significant.
“I had to take a week off,” he said, “so obviously I feel like I missed spring. But I'm fine and as a result I have even more motivationI like competing, but to be honest, I also really enjoyed working at Sierra Nevada. One of the reasons is that we're together with the whole group and the atmosphere is really great. And then being on retreat... We have time to think about how we can improve and these are really interesting thoughts..
«Ten years ago it was said that to reach the best level you had to run above all. Then Covid arrived, No one ran for six months and once we started again, the level was very high. So everyone took a step in that direction. I'm not saying I took a further step, but that It might not necessarily be a bad thing to take a longer break from racingWe'll talk about this too after the Tour."
The challenge with Pogacar
Pogacar influences him. It may not have become his worst nightmare yet, but it is certainly a recurring theme in his days.The motivation to do better, the photo in the mirror before every ride. It's no coincidence that Jonas's three greatest moments at the Tour involved the Slovenian.
«I find it really nice – explained Vingegaard – to always fight against him. When it's not there, the level is lower and therefore it's easier to win. His presence allows me to improve in terms of motivation, increasing my level of competition and that of the entire team. I think having an opponent like that brings out the best in me. I know I have to give my all every day to try to beat him.
«Not by chance, the best memory I have of the Tour is the Combloux time trial in 2023That day was incredible for me, for the team and also for my family, as the year before when I took the yellow jersey on the Col du GranonThe third best moment is last year's stage victory, even if it's already Being at the start of the Tour was a great success, very exciting for me and my family. All we have passed last year It was incredibly tough. So, being able to get to the starting line was probably one of the biggest accomplishments of my career."
The first provocation
Dauphiné demonstrates this, even in his running without fear, There are few who can challenge Pogacar and hold his gazeMost attack the number and prepare for defeat.
"There are some elements," Vingegaard said, "that make me think I can beat him. For example, the fact that last year at the Tour de France I wasn't at my best. I know I can be much stronger, because the preparation has been better and every year I improve in some aspect.It's been like that for me in the past: every year I've gained a little bit of level and now we've really focused on that. I really think I can beat him and that I can do much better at the Tour de France.
«It's really impressive how he performed in the spring, the races he did and the victories. But to be honest, As for the Tour de France, the only thing I can do is focus on myself and give my best.. So I don't think about how good he was in the spring, also because It's not a given that if you were the best in spring, you will be the best in the future. Tour de France».
