Jonas Vingegaard: I used to be extra relaxed coming into this Tour de France
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Jonas Vingegaard is getting used to this. One other Tour de France, one other yellow jersey in Paris, one other winner’s speech on the Champs-Élysées. The fashionable custom began with Lance Armstrong’s notorious “cynics and sceptics” oration of 2005, however the audio system that adopted have typically tended in direction of diplomacy.
Bradley Wiggins and Geraint Thomas made forays into humour, after all, however, as in 2022, Vingegaard performed a straight bat when he was handed the microphone, thanking his Jumbo-Visma workforce, his rivals and his household.
“It’s been an incredible yr, an incredible Tour de France for us. All of it begins someplace, after all, and we began the plans early,” stated Vingegaard. “Tonight, we’ll have a good time it with a pleasant dinner, and will probably be very nice a pleasant night as properly.”
There is not going to, after all, be a lot time for celebration in Vingegaard’s schedule. On Sunday morning, phrase filtered by way of that he would participate within the upcoming Vuelta a España, setting out from Barcelona on August 26 as Jumbo-Visma’s co-leader alongside Primož Roglič.
Already the winner of the Giro d’Italia in Could, Roglič is searching for a fourth Vuelta title, whereas Vingegaard is trying so as to add to his quickly rising palmarès. Jumbo-Visma, in the meantime, are aiming to finish a outstanding clear sweep of the season’s three-week Grand Excursions, a feat that proved past even Crew Sky of their years of lots.
“We made the choice already in November final yr, so it has been the plan on a regular basis, however now was the second to interrupt the information. I am actually trying ahead to the Vuelta as properly,” Vingegaard stated initially of Sunday’s stage in Saint-Quentin-en-Yvelines. “In fact, I’ll take pleasure in immediately, I’ll benefit from the Tour de France win, however then in a single week’s time from now, I will begin specializing in the Vuelta.”
Because the Vuelta moved to its present slot on the calendar in 1995, just one rider – Chris Froome in 2017 – has managed to win the race and the Tour in the identical season. Earlier than he mounted the rostrum on the Champs-Élysées, Vingegaard confirmed that he would journey to Spain with designs on general victory in opposition to a deep area that will even embody Remco Evenepoel (Soudal-QuickStep), Geraint Thomas (Ineos) and Juan Ayuso (UAE Crew Emirates).
“I believe so. I hope so no less than, however we’ll see in a month,” Vingegaard stated. “The plan is that we go there to win as a workforce, with each me and Primoz as leaders.”
As nightfall fell gently over Paris on Sunday night, nevertheless, Vingegaard most popular to mirror on the duty simply accomplished. Though the Dane positioned second in his debut Tour in 2021, his triumph of a yr in the past nonetheless had the texture of a shock provided that two-time winner Tadej Pogačar (UAE Crew Emirates) had set out because the clear favorite for the yellow jersey.
Earlier than the beginning of this yr’s race in Bilbao, most observers agreed there was valuable little to separate Vingegaard and Pogačar, and that consensus seemed to be borne out when simply ten seconds separated the duo after two weeks of racing. The dynamic of this race – and, maybe, of their complete rivalry – shifted, nevertheless, in two outstanding days initially of the third week.
After a startling demonstration within the Combloux time trial, Vingegaard ran mercilessly by way of his scales over again a day in a while the Col de la Loze, the place Pogačar floundered. The extent of his efficiency and the dimensions of his dominance was hanging, and Vingegaard stated final week that he may “totally perceive” the scepticism of some observers, although Jumbo-Visma supervisor Richard Plugge expressed better frustration at a few of the incredulity directed his workforce’s manner in latest days.
Vingegaard, in any case, lastly reached Paris with a lead of seven:29 over Pogačar, fulfilling his personal, repeated predictions that this race can be determined in minutes slightly than in seconds. He was reluctant to say, nevertheless, which of his two Tour triumphs was the extra demanding.
“It is exhausting to inform, I imply, they had been totally different, the 2 of them. Final yr, there was extra strain from myself and the workforce as a result of we did not win it earlier than. Going into this one, we had been a bit extra relaxed as a result of we gained it final yr,” stated Vingegaard. It goes with out saying that he will likely be again to defend his title subsequent yr. “I am tremendous, tremendous pleased and pleased with my second victory within the Tour de France, and I hope to return again subsequent yr to attempt to win the third one.”
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