The history of the Tour de France is marked by great duels. Tadej Pogacar and Jonas Vingegaard are giving hope for the next year this year.
Armstrong against Ullrich, LeMond against Fignon, Anquetil against Poulidor – the 119-year history of the Tour de France is marked by great duels. Even if some of the aforementioned events took place in an inglorious era of cycling, they still fascinate to this day. In 2022 it boils down to a new duel: Pogacar versus Vingegaard.
“He is perhaps the best climber in the field,” says Tadej Pogacar about his biggest competitor in the next two tour weeks. Even if the man in the yellow jersey seems remarkably relaxed these days, Jonas Vingegaard has a lot of respect.
In the first week of the tour, the Dane repeatedly stood up to the defending champion. “My legs are very good, I’m in top form,” said Vingegaard. While other favorites like Primoz Roglic or Geraint Thomas were already falling behind, the 25-year-old mostly got stuck on Pogacar’s rear wheel and lost little time overall: “It’s not much. One bad day is enough.”
And Vingegaard has what is perhaps a crucial advantage over Pogacar in the battle for the yellow jersey. His team Jumbo-Visma around super all-rounder Wout van Aert, strong climbers like Sepp Kuss and Steven Kruijswijk as well as Roglic are far superior to Pogacar’s UAE Team Emirates, which also has to cope with two corona-related failures. “I have the best helpers in the world,” enthuses Vingegaard.
“Anything can happen in the Tour de France”
Whether that’s enough to really pose a threat to Pogacar, who has seemed so untouchable up to now, will first become apparent on the difficult stages in the Alps. On Wednesday and Thursday, a total of five mountain classifications of the highest category are on the program – including the legendary climbs to the Col du Galibier and to Alpe d’Huez.
Pogacar could benefit from his experience these days despite his tender age of 23. In 2020, the Slovenian was part of the last big tour duel so far, when compatriot Roglic looked like the sure winner for a long time before Pogacar’s star finally rose: in the final time trial up to the Planche des Belles Filles, he took almost two minutes from his opponent and the yellow jersey from – one day before the champagne cruise to Paris.
A year later, the cycling prodigy celebrated his second Tour victory when nobody could hold a candle to him except for his helpers. Vingegaard was more than five minutes behind the winner in second, but seems much closer this year.
“Anything can happen in the Tour de France, and I’m even stronger on the long mountains,” said Vingegaard aggressively. The numerous fans in the Alps should be happy about such statements – they are ready for the next big tour duel.