Resurgent Vingegaard on Collision Course with Pogačar

The gamble by Jonas Vingegaard to target the Giro d’Italia prior to the Tour de France seemed at one point like a bid to avoid staking everything on a head to head with Tadej Pogačar.

However such a perception is fast becoming irrelevant.

The Dane is having what is arguably his best season start in years and picked up his fifth win of the year on Saturday, racing to his second victory in as many days.

His mountain stage win at Queralt at the Volta a Catalunya was his second such triumph in as many days. It lifted him 1’22 clear of Lenny Martinez (Bahrain-Victorious) with just Sunday’s concluder to go.

Florian Lipowitz (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe), who finished one step behind Vingegaard on the podium of the 2025 Tour de France, is third, 1’30 back.

The past two days mark a dominant performance for the Danish rider, who looks locked in for big GC win in Barcelona on Sunday, as well as a potential victory in the points classification.

“I’m really happy with the victory today,” the Visma-Lease a Bike rider told Cycling Pro Net after the stage. “My team did a super good job, they were really good at controlling the stage today. That was really impressive and thank you for the work to my teammates.”

Two weeks ago Vingegaard won two stages, the overall, the points classification and the mountains jersey at Paris-Nice. Factor in his 4’23 winning margin there, the biggest since the 1930s, and he is clearly in extraordinary form.

Is Pogačar paying attention? He would be daft not to.

‘Being along would not have been nice for me’

Vingegaard captured the Tour title ahead of Pogačar in 2022 and 2003 but then had big setbacks the next two seasons. He fell heavily in the Itzulia Basque Country race in 2024 and spent a month and a half away from racing.

Last season was even worse, with concussion picked up in a Paris-Nice spill seeing him out of competition for almost three months.

No wonder he wasn’t at his best in either Tour.

It’s early days yet this season but, thus far at least, he appear right on course for a big, big year. His five wins thus far contrast with two for Pogačar, although the Slovenian has only lined out twice.

What’s important is that Vingegaard is riding strongly and his confidence and morale are building, helping convince he and his Visma-Lease a Bike team that a third Tour win is very possible.

The squad backed him fully on Saturday, although towards the end Vingegaard benefited from the work done by Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe, who rode hard to try to set up Lipowitz for a push for the GC and also for the stage win.

The latter goal didn’t work out, but he is up to third overall. Vingegaard complemented them and noted that what they did actually stopped him from being exposed to attack.

“They really did a good job there. They went a good speed on the downhill and not a lot of guys could follow,” he said. “I am happy that I could follow. Then they saw that Felix Gall was not there and they tried to use that to make sure of the podium.

“I guess somehow that was a bit lucky for me, because being alone in that valley would not have been nice.”

On course for a huge Giro and Tour

Firmly in the white and green leader’s jersey on Saturday evening, Vingegaard just has Sunday’s stage to negotiate now.

It is 95.1km in length and takes in seven laps of the tough, tricky Montjüic circuit. It’s a much punchier parcours than the high mountains of Friday and Saturday and the ramps and tricky descents could, in theory, be a little less suited to Vingegaard.

However he’s in superb form and does have a buffer of over a minute. He’s looking locked on for the overall victory and for what would be victory number six this year.

Could he even make it seven and take the stage?

“Tomorrow the main goal will be to just defend the jersey,” he said. “That will just be our goal tomorrow. And then we will see.”

That’s not quite a denial. He and Visma-Lease a Bike may well have that in mind but, either way, he is in stomping shape. He is exactly where he needs to be just over a month from the start of the Giro.

A couple of months ago that race seemed to some to be a consolation goal due to Pogačar’s expected dominance in the Tour de France.

Now that’s a lot less certain. There was very little between he and the Slovenian in the final week of last year’s Tour.

If things keep going to plan Vingegaard may be back to his very best in July. That sets things up for fireworks in France and rip-roaring race.