After a real power grab in the past two stages, Jonas Vingegaard rules the Tour. Such a great dominance sometimes raises questions due to the stained cycling past. The doping topic was also discussed in Vive le Vélo. “I’m sure what we’re seeing is normal,” said ex-rider Servais Knaven.
Jonas Vingegaard also did not escape questions about alleged doping use at the press conference after the queen stage. The Danish yellow jersey wearer once again underlined that he drives clean.
“I understand that it is difficult to trust cycling because of the past. But I can say hand on heart that I don’t take anything and that I wouldn’t take anything that I wouldn’t give to my daughter.”
Servais Knaven, ex-rider and currently sporting director at women’s team AG Insurance-Soudal-Quick Step, also has no doubts about Vingegaard. “I’m sure what we’re seeing is normal, I really believe that.”
“I experienced the same thing when we won the Tour seven times. It’s just part of it for people to insinuate that. For the rider it is
difficult, because he knows what he does for it and for late. I
I can imagine that you sometimes get angry about that.”
It’s just normal for people to insinuate that. It is difficult for the rider, because he knows what he does for it and for late.
Servais Knaven
Bert De Backer also sees no reason to distrust Vingegaard. “The problem is that cycling has a bad past, but I trust the environment of Vingegaard enormously. There are a lot of people there that I know well and trust is high.”
In any case, this Tour is also firmly checked. An hour before the start of the queen stage, all riders of UAE and Jumbo-Visma had to give blood for a check.
“You have to be a huge cowboy to dare it. Let alone that it would be organized by a team,” says De Backer. “They are so short. For me it sometimes takes some getting used to not having to enter my whereabouts anymore.”
“Punish how Jumbo-Visma could estimate their own skills and those of Pogacar”
At the table with Karl Vannieuwkerke, praise was mainly sprinkled for the tactics at Jumbo-Visma. Make the pace, make the rides hard and hope that the opposition breaks.
“I think that was really their tactic,” says Knaven. “They also said at the beginning of the Tour that they wanted to make their move in the last week. They did it very smartly by sending men ahead.”
De Backer also gives compliments. “I think it’s great that they were able to estimate their skills and especially the capabilities of Pogacar so well. That they knew they could do it with that tactic.”
Tadej Pogacar struggled with stomach problems and was a shadow of himself on the Col de la Loze. De Backer already saw the storm in the time trial. “I then had a bit of a re-experience of Remco Evenepoel’s time trial in the Giro. He did win, but we didn’t see the look we were used to from him.”
“I had the same feeling with Pogacar. He is not in his normal way. We often talk about his extraordinary talent, but he must also have optimal preparation to be at the top in the toughest competition in the world.”
Pogacar must also have optimal preparation in order to be at the top in the toughest competition in the world.
Bert De Backer
“Pogacar can also run a shorter spring”
Jonas Vingegaard reaches his best level ever. Will the very best Pogacar be a match for the very best Vingegaard in the future?
Knaven believes it. “He will be so motivated next year, but it will remain exciting. I think he may have to skip the classic spring. He also won the Tour twice in the spring, but then there was no Vingegaard.”
De Backer also argues for an adjusted schedule. “You can also ride a shorter spring. Now he already won his first race in Spain, he also did the Tour of Flanders and Liège-Bastogne-Liège.”
Tour de France ranking
general
points
berg
young people
team
combat
nameteampoints1Felix GallAG2R – Citroën Team
Tour de France
stage date start – finish type stage total winner leader
1
01/07Bilbao – Bilbao
182 km
Adam Yates
2
07/02 Vitoria-Gasteiz – San Sebastian
207,3 km
Adam Yates
3
03/07Amorebieta-Etxano – Bayonne
193,5 km
Adam Yates
4
04/07Dax – Nogaro
181,8 km
Adam Yates
5
05/07Pau – Laruns
162,7 km
Jai Hindley
6
06/07Tarbes – Cauterets-Cambasque
144,9 km
Jonas Vingegaard
7
07/07Mont-de-Marsan – Bordeaux
169,9 km
Jonas Vingegaard
8
08/07Libourne – Limoges
200,7 km
Jonas Vingegaard
9
09/07Saint-Leonard-de-Noblat – Puy de Dôme
182,4 km
Jonas Vingegaard rust day 10/07
10
07/11Vulcania – Issoire
167,2 km
Jonas Vingegaard
11
12/07Clermont-Ferrand – Windmills
179,3 km
Jonas Vingegaard
12
13/07Roanne – Belleville-en-Beaujolais
168 km
Jonas Vingegaard
13
14/07Châtillon-sur-Chalaronne – Col du Grand Colombier
137,8 km
Jonas Vingegaard
14
15/07Annemasse – Morzine
150,4 km
Jonas Vingegaard
15
16/07Les Gets – Le Bettex
179 km
Jonas Vingegaard rust day 17/07
16
07/18 Passy – Combloux
22,4 km
Jonas Vingegaard
17
07/19Saint-Gervais Mont-Blanc – Courchevel
165,7 km
Jonas Vingegaard
18
20/07Moûtiers – Bourg-en-Bresse
184,9 km
19
07/21Moirans-en-Mountain – Poligny
172,8 km
20
22/07 Belfort – Le Markstein
133,5 km
21
23/07Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines – Paris
115,1 km
2023-07-19 21:46:35
#Bert #Backer #doubts #Jonas #Vingegaard #cowboy #Tour #France
