Sport cycling
Vingegaard in outstanding early form, Roglic disappointed
Status: 11.03.2024 | Reading time: 3 minutes
In the end also overall winner: Jonas Vingegaard won at Tirreno-Adriatico
Those: AP/Gianmattia D’Alberto
At the Tour de France, two-time overall winner Jonas Vingegaard wants to be at the peak of his form. He has already shown his skills in the first races of the 2024 season. For Primoz Roglic, the new captain of Bora-hansgrohe, things are not yet going as hoped.
Tour de France champion Jonas Vingegaard demonstrated his early form with overall victory in the difficult Tirreno-Adriatico tour. The Danish professional cyclist was unbeatable with two stage wins in the mountains and a clear lead in the overall ranking. “The season is not just about the Tour de France. It’s better to try something now and win a few races,” said Vingegaard, who already has seven wins this season.
However, so far this year there has been no meeting with the other great tour drivers Tadej Pogacar, Primoz Roglic (both Slovenia) or Remco Evenepoel (Belgium). Last year, Vingegaard suffered a clear defeat against Pogacar at Paris-Nice in the spring, but then triumphed at the Tour. “With a view to the tour, it doesn’t matter to be in good shape now. I think I can still improve and reach my peak in July,” said Vingegaard.
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The Italian Jonathan Milan won the seventh and final stage over 154 kilometers with start and finish in San Benedetto del Tronto on Sunday. From a German perspective, tour hopeful Lennard Kämna showed a good performance on Saturday with seventh place at the mountain finish up to Monte Petrano and thus secured a top ten place in the overall ranking. Kämna is getting into shape for the Giro d’Italia, where he will be back in the overall standings.
Roglic disappointed at Paris-Nice
Despite the attacks from former world champion Remco Evenepoel, the American Matteo Jorgenson surprisingly took overall victory in the traditional Paris-Nice tour. The Slovenian co-favorite Primoz Roglic, however, played no role in the fight for the yellow jersey. The new captain of the German Bora-hansgrohe racing team lost more than four minutes to the Belgian stage winner Evenepoel and second-placed Jorgenson on the eighth and final stage over 109.3 kilometers with start and finish in Nice on Sunday.
Still a lot of work ahead: Primoz Roglic in his new role
What: AFP/THOMAS SAMSON
For the 24-year-old American, who replaced his compatriot Brandon McNulty at the top of the overall standings on the final day, it was the greatest success of his career. Jorgenson, who is a teammate of Tour de France winner Jonas Vingegaard (Denmark) with the Visma-Lease a bike team, was the only rider who was able to keep up with Evenepoel’s increased pace. “Matteo was the only one who could follow. That’s why he is the deserved winner. I am more than happy with this lovely week,” said Evenepoel.
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100 kilometers of hiking in one go
Third place on the day went to Roglic’s Bora colleague Alexander Vlasow, who had already won the mountain finish in Madone d’Utelle on Saturday. Roglic has switched from the Visma team to Bora for the new season and is expected to be involved in the fight for overall victory at the Tour de France.
