"A minute is good" - Tadej Pogacar happy with dominance over Jonas Vingegaard in first climbing duel of 2025
Cycling
Tadej Pogacar has showed one of his greatest performances of the year this afternoon by beating Jonas Vingegaard by a full minute in Combloux - the climb where the Dane virtually sealed his 2023 Tour de France victory over the Slovenia. With this, he is now in control of the Criterium du Duaphiné.
"We had our own plan, but Visma immediately started going full throttle on the first category climb. Before the start I didn't know much about that climb (the Côte the Domancy, ed.), but I have definitely done it before. It brought back memories of good times".
Visma tested UAE on the penultimate climb and definitely looked to have some effect, but with such steep gradients and such a strong Pogacar, it was impossible to go far. And on the final climb, a terrifying uphill leadout from his teammates led to a spotless attack.
"The team was really good today. Pavel [Sivakov] and Johnny [Narváez] were really incredible today. Actually, the whole team was really strong today. I felt good, so we were going to go for it from the beginning of the final climb, on the steepest part. We had nothing to lose and only something to gain," he explains.
What happened was that he dropped Jonas Vingegaard - the rest of Pogacar's rivals had already been dropped mostly by the long stint in the front from Narváez. "I felt really good. When I attacked, it was an all-out effort. I knew it would be fifteen minutes from the Côte de Domancy to the top. So I had to watch my speed a bit after my attack, but the feeling was there and my legs were working well. It was to my advantage to be in front and gain time. A minute is good and I am very happy with that".
The World Champion didn't crack and continued to build his gap all the way into the very summit. 1 minute and 1 second to Vingegaard - plus bonifications - see him climb back into the yellow jersey, now 43 seconda ahead of his main rival.
The questions over form are also cleared after a modest time-trial. "That was certainly a concern, because I certainly care where I lose time in a time-trial. It is a challenge for me and for the team to improve in that. Still, the form is good and the legs are there too, so we have to hold on to the horses for the Tour".
"At the end of the day, it is what it is. It was a very tough and especially very hot day. Also, I had to hurry to see Urska's [Zigart] finish in the Tour de Suisse, so I was just in time", he joked.
Rúben SilvaEditor-in-Chief
A founding contributor to CyclingUpToDate since its launch in January 2022, Ruben Silva has played a central role in shaping the site’s editorial direction and long-term growth. Before joining the project, he built his experience through independent blogging at Echelons Hub and by producing race previews for Ciclismo Internacional, developing a strong analytical voice rooted in daily engagement with professional cycling.
Beyond editorial work, he has been closely involved in the expansion and coordination of CyclingUpToDate’s wider network, helping establish and support sister platforms across multiple languages. This includes ongoing collaboration with CiclismoAlDia (Spanish), CiclismoAtual (Portuguese), WielrennenUpToDate (Dutch), and RadsportAktuell (German), contributing to a shared editorial vision and consistent international coverage.
He also helps oversee editorial governance across the network, setting standards for accuracy and consistency and coordinating updates or corrections when needed.
Originally from the Porto metropolitan area in Portugal, he holds a bachelor’s degree in Geography. His path into cycling journalism was shaped not through formal media training, but through independent reporting, community engagement, and sustained on-the-ground involvement in the sport.
Over the course of his career, he has conducted approximately 100 interviews across road cycling and cyclocross, ranging from one-to-one conversations and online formats to press conferences and on-site pre- and post-race coverage. His interviews include leading riders, team managers, and prominent figures within cycling media: Tadej Pogacar, Jonas Vingegaard, Mathieu van der Poel, Primoz Roglic, Wout van Aert, Joao Almeida and Tom Pidcock; managers like Patrick Lefevere and Joxean Matxin; and YouTube personality Bryan Kennedy (BKXC)...
Within 18 months of launch, he helped grow CyclingUpToDate’s English-language platform into one of the most-read cycling news websites, built entirely from the ground up. As both a professional journalist and lifelong cycling enthusiast, his focus remains on delivering accurate, timely, and well-contextualized coverage.
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- guess what Valgren, you're 34, and no you're not good enough. sorry to say.mij14-11-2026
- I'm a sepp fan and like to think he earned that LOL, indulge me : ) I think Jonas was fine. Roglic did not want to concede to Sepp. and I don't think you ever attack your own teammate in the leaders jersey if he is holding his own, which Sepp just about was.mij14-11-2026
- enough time? he's 24 years old. He's won 10 races over the last 2 years and some are significant. I won't argue about his attitude being good - it needs to improve. But with some coaching and mentorship he has a lot of winning ahead of him and has plenty of time to win a GT. I don't think he will ever beat Tadej, but everyone else is fair game Look at Mas and Valverde - they were 31 and 29, respectively, when they won the Vuelta.mij14-11-2026
- Pogacar has a fine head on his shoulders.Careful investments and a couple of coffee shops sounds like a wonderful way to chill after an intense career.Stay healthy GOAT.
Brucegel14-11-2026 - I live in Maribor.PogiSloFans14-11-2026
- I live in Ljubljana and often go on trips in the surrounding area, where I frequently see young cyclists in 'Pogi Team' jerseys training, either alone or in groups. By simply motivating so many young people to take up cycling, Tadej has already achieved something truly significant.Velijo14-11-2026
- That's an excellent point. It's interesting that Vader came to that realization only after he learned that his contract wasn't going to be renewed.
santiagobenites14-11-2026
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