Jonas Vingegaard’s name sounds strange to any layperson. cycling and even possibly for many who love and even go crazy for this sport. And regardless of Tadej Pogacar’s reaction, expected for the good of the Tour and of this sport, he could become the second Dane to win the French round.
We live immersed in a cycle that many try to change. And they are even trying to create the fashion that it is as great to win the Giro as the Tour. La Vuelta lives happily in its world of magic and passion. But, we only have to ask ourselves one thing. Was there in the last italian round a single stage that had a generous 10% of the intensity experienced this Wednesday on the way to the Granon?
For this reason, and although sounds strange to pronounceeven though so much ‘a’ in the surname is marked in red in any document because it does not appear in the spelling, we must get used to memorizing the name of Vingegaard.
The Copenhagen experience
In Copenhagen, where this Tour started from, it was clear that he is an idol in his country and that last year’s second place in Paris opened a dose of optimism and hope that Denmark can finally win and Tour through the big door. Vingegaard was acclaimed at the team presentation at the famous Tivoli park as it would have been Miguel Indurain 30 years ago in Pamplona. And it is not an exaggeration because the screams that were heard while doing a time trial worthy of a contender for victory through the streets of the Danish capital are sure to still resonate in the silence of the night, although it is almost always daytime there.
Bjarne Riis he won the Tour on behalf of Denmark in 1996. He went down in history as the rider who precisely ended the reign of Induráin. But his victory was always under the suspicion of doping. There were even a few years in which his name did not appear in the list of winners although later, strangely and unlike what happened with Lance Armstrong, he was amnestied.
Now there is no talk of doping
Another Dane, in 2007, was about to win the Tour but ended up fleeing from it through the door of the kitchen of a hotel in Pau plagued by doping when he had won the French round. He was Michael Rasmussen, today a special correspondent for a Danish newspaper, a regular in the newsroom. He and Philippa Yorkpreviously Robert Millarare the representatives of professional cycling among the international written press who stand in front of a computer to narrate and interpret the stage for their readers.
In this Tour there is no longer talk of doping and the only positives that are of concern are those of covid. For this reason, Denmark, like any other country, breathes easy, embraces its new idol to push him to the maximum, although it seems that he is on his own, if the reaction of Pogacar.
Now all that remains is to wait… this Thursday the curves of Alpe d’Huezon Saturday the airfield of Mende and next week the triple date with the Pyrenees. Ladies, gentlemen, although it may seem otherwise, this has only just begun. Live the Tour!
