The gripping duel between Jonas Vingegaard and Tadej Pogacar fuels the Tour de France 2023. The two cycling stars are very different in character. But defending champion Vingegaard doesn’t want to know anything about arrogance.
Jonas Vingegaard had to fight. On the last climb, up to the Puy de Dome, his rival Tadej Pogacar turned up the heat on Sunday. For the second time in a row, the Slovenian stole important seconds from last year’s winner and is bit by bit nibbling away the gap. There are only 17 seconds between the two tour favorites.
In terms of character, there is at least one mountain between the cycling stars. Here the lively and relaxed Pogacar, there the rather taciturn Vingegaard.
Jonas Vingegaard exudes “certain arrogance”.
“I can’t remember ever seeing two such different characters as favorites,” said former tour winner Andy Schleck in “L’Equipe”:
While Tadej always has fun, jokes and just talks a lot, “Jonas is totally shy, hardly speaks and exudes a certain arrogance.” The driving style of the Vingegaard Jumbo Visman team reminded him “of a German tank army”.
The accusation of arrogance did not leave Vingegaard cold – the Dane wedged back. “I don’t care what Schleck says,” said the 2022 tour winner: “Arrogant? I may be calm, but not unapproachable.”
The next mountain duel between Vingegaard and Pogacar rises in the Alps on Friday as the riders scale the Grand Colombier. The tour leader wants to focus entirely on himself. “I’m in the yellow jersey and my stages are just coming up now. That’s why I’m really happy,” said the 26-year-old, who enjoyed the rest day on Monday.
One thing is clear: the decision about the Tour crown falls between the two cycling giants. There may even be one of the closest decisions in a long time. Greg LeMond and Laurent Fignon still hold the record. The American LeMond won the 1989 Tour de France by just 8 seconds.