José De Cauwer saw an impressive Vingegaard in the Dauphiné: “No one comes close” | Dauphiné

With great force majeure, Jonas Vingegaard controlled the Criterium du Dauphiné last week. Cycling commentator José De Cauwer was impressed by the Danish dynamite in France.

“He’s fine,” De Cauwer opens with an understatement. “Jumbo-Visma is ready. The team was very good. No one comes close to Vingegaard at the moment. He can go to the Tour without any worries.”

The contrast with his big challenger, Tadej Pogacar, is great. “The Slovenian has questions. He still has to fully heal after his wrist injury and has had a disrupted preparation. It remains to be seen.”

What is the difference between this year’s Vingegaard and last year’s? “The leader for himself. Last year I think he already knew in the Dauphiné that he was the better of Roglic, but Roglic did not want to fully accept that at the time.”

“But in the Tour he then claimed that leader. Now he is liberated and he knows he is supported by the best team in the world.”

Where there are winners, there are also losers. Who disappointed De Cauwer? “David Gaudu, the French hope, who was thought to be competing for the top five. That was far from successful. He will have questions: for the Tour, and also for the further future.”

The French were able to pull themselves up to a good Julian Alaphilippe. “It is actually a kind of resurrection. I think everyone wants to see Alaphilippe racing like this: eager and participating again. It’s not a big deal that he gets caught once.”

Will this Alaphilippe soon be a contender for the yellow jersey during the first Tour stages in the Basque Country?

José De Cauwer: “Yes, but there are still a few others. I think in the first place of Wout van Aert and Mathieu van der Poel.”

“In any case, it would be a huge boost for himself and his team. Alaphilippe is out of contract and would certainly like to get a nice contract somewhere.”

“Whether that will be with Patrick Lefevere’s team, that is still the question.”