Wednesday, July 2, 2025, 23:36
The duel begins on Saturday, although in the early stages there are no strange movements. But that is not an obstacle. Each gesture of Pogacar and Vingegaard will be analyzed in detail, will crumble trying conclusions. It is the Pogacar Tour, but also that of Jonas Vingegaard, the applicant, the cyclist who thinks he must be equal to Pogacar if he wants to beat him. For that he has strictly followed what his trainers mark him, not even a millimeter of the line. “It may seem strange, but Jonas has been the perfect experiment, it does everything with precision.”
Tim Heemskerk, his coach, is amazed by Danish discipline. «If you tell him that he trains five hours in a given area, he will roll those five hours in that area. I perfectly understand that you can discover what works well and what not, based on perfect training schedules. That makes the difference to the good cyclists of the best. Many cyclists »–Causes’ Ride Magazine’–« constantly deviate from their schedule. They produce ten more watts and turn five hours into five and a half hours. Jonas no. Four hours with VO2 intervals are always four hours with VO2 intervals ».
He has only changed that his two children take away now more time, but he does not notice in his work. «I enjoy reaching the highest possible level to the tour. It is always the big goal and I always enjoy doing hard work. Everyone is taking a step forward now, so obviously I need to be better than two years ago and I feel that I am improving, ”he says in an interview.
In their concentration in height in Sierra Nevada, Vingegaard and Pogacar they have coincided on the road, they have greeted themselves but little else. “Sometimes we have advanced, sometimes he,” he confesses to RTVE. The relationship is not narrow, but, according to Jonas, it is a kind of mutual dependence. «If he ran without Tadej, it would not be the same, and I hope he feels the same as upside down. The truth is that I enjoy having a rival like him ».
The Danish, twice winner of the Tour, aspires to his third crown, but shows uncertainty, not so much for his benefits but for those of his rival. «In general, my whole engine is growing. We focus on improving both on the Sprint and the threshold and maxim power. I feel that I am improving in all aspects “, but” I think that Tadej will be better than ever on the tour, so, obviously, I have to be better than ever. If I want to win, I have to beat Tadej, it’s probably one of the best cyclists in history.
Get to “best level”
In his words he feels a certain frustration for not knowing at all how to find the right key, as he did in 2022 and 2023. «To do it, you have to train every day. When I go out every day I focus more on myself, on how to get to the best possible level, but I know that, in general, if I want to win the tour, I have to beat him ». Always Pogacar on the horizon. Vingegaard, who will have a super team, does not contemplate more options. The other cyclists do not count.
So he prepares for that duel and smiles when he talks about his references of childhood, but without forgetting the rival who obsesses him. «My idol when I was a child was Alberto Cantador. I always liked his style of running; I liked the way I always attacked and I was not afraid of anything. I think that when talking about who is the best of all time, it is a difficult question. But I think Tadej is undoubtedly among the best.
