At the last Grand Tour on cycling, Jonas Vingegaard goes into the race as a big favorite. The Dane knows that the chance of an overall victory is significantly higher this year than usual.
Jonas Vingegaard makes no secret of his high ambitions before the start of the Spanish vuelta.
“I am here for the overall victory and with this team this is a realistic goal,” the Dane told team media before the start of the Tour of Spain (23.08 to 14.09.) In Turin Italian: “I am ready and would like to start immediately.”
The two-time Tour de France champion is one of the big favorites for overall victory, which is probably also due to the cancellation of the further cycling prominence. Tadej Pogacar leaves the vuelta left this year as well as double Olympic champion Remco Evenepoel, touring starter Florian Lipowitz and previous year’s winner Primoz Roglic.
In addition: Vingegaard gets a powerful team at the side of the 80th Vuelta, for example the two US noble helpers Matteo Jorgenson and Sepp Kuss are at the start.
Visma boss: “The overall victory is our big goal”
Another plus is good preparation according to Vingegaard. After he was beaten by Tadej Pogacar again at the Tour de France, after a short break for “the last big goal of the season” he “completed an” individual training camp “.
The Spanish Vuelta is the superstar of Team Visma | Lease a bike has so far driven twice. In 2020 he had helped his teammate Roglic to win, and in 2023 he returned to Kuss for successful support on the previously won Tour de France. “Hopefully we can also create other great memories this year,” said Vingegaard in advance.
Before the start, team boss Grischa Niermann made it clear: “The overall victory is our big goal, we don’t have to talk around the hot porridge. Jonas is our leader and our greatest chance for overall victory. But with Sepp Kuss we also have a former winner who starts and Matteo Jorgenson has recovered well after the Tour de France.”
In addition to the trio, Wilco Kelderman, Ben Tulett, Victor Campenaerts, Dylan van Baarle and Axel Zingle start for Visma.
Team UAE dangerous without pogacar
Despite the cancellation of Tadej Pogacar from the UAE team, the greatest danger, which sends a dangerous double tip into the race with Joao Almeida and Juan Ayuso.
Video: Lipowitz enthusiastically received at home
Ten mountain arrangements, including the infamous Angliru with up to 23.5 percent climb, can be mastered in Madrid until the final on September 14th. Not much is left for the sprinter. Classic specialist and ex-world champion Mads Pedersen should still have the best chances of the daily victory. The Dane already won four stages at the Giro.
From a German perspective, climbing specialist Emanuel Buchmann and Giro-Tapenwinnerin Nico Denz are in the spotlight. Buchmann could also go to the top ten after fourth place at the 2019 tour and seventh at the Giro 2022 on the third big tour.