“After a few hard years without it” – Jonas Vingegaard savours emotional return to Tour de France yellow after Visma masterclass
Cycling
Jonas Vingegaard is back in the Tour de France yellow jersey after Team Visma | Lease a Bike delivered the first major blow of the 2026 race in Barcelona.
Visma won the Stage 1 team time trial by 7.33 seconds over Netcompany INEOS and 11.28 seconds over UAE Team Emirates – XRG. It put Vingegaard into yellow immediately, gave him early time on Tadej Pogacar, Juan Ayuso and Remco Evenepoel, and returned him to the jersey he had gone without during two difficult Tours.
Speaking in his flash interview after the finish, Vingegaard admitted the day had landed emotionally as well as tactically.
“It’s the perfect start,” he said. “Still a long Tour, obviously, but it’s the perfect start. My team-mates did an amazing job today. They were so strong. I didn’t have to do much, to be honest, they drove me all the way to the finish.”
Back in yellow after difficult years
Visma’s opening ride protected Vingegaard until the final section, then released him on the Montjuic finale after several other teams had started to lose shape. They trailed INEOS at the first checkpoint, moved ahead by Sagrada Familia and stretched the gap before the run to the Olympic Stadium.
Matteo Jorgenson and Davide Piganzoli were among the final riders still with Vingegaard before the Dane completed the ride. Behind him, the early Tour hierarchy had already started to form: Pogacar at 12 seconds, Ayuso at 16 and Evenepoel at 19.
“To take the stage win for us, and the yellow jersey also, for me personally, after a few hard years without it, it’s nice for me to experience it again,” Vingegaard said. “It’s the biggest race in the world. It’s an amazing victory for us, especially when it’s a team time trial.”
Vingegaard arrived at this Tour after a dominant first half of 2026, but his recent relationship with July had been more complicated. In Barcelona, he ended the opening day in the jersey every GC contender had started the race chasing.
Visma’s collective win puts Vingegaard first
The yellow jersey was worn by Vingegaard at the end of the day, but Visma’s reaction was built around the full team effort. Per Strand Hagenes had been central early on, Jorgenson and Piganzoli helped carry the speed deep into the final kilometres, and the whole unit avoided the late collapse that cost others time on Montjuic.
“We’re eight guys, which means I have seven team-mates who sacrifice themselves for me today,” Vingegaard said. “I’m the one wearing the yellow jersey after today, but they also won the stage and I have to thank them.”
INEOS had Filippo Ganna to finish off a powerful ride, but Kevin Vauquelin’s puncture changed their yellow jersey plan. UAE had Pogacar for the final metres, but not enough team speed to match Visma. Red Bull had Evenepoel driving late, while Florian Lipowitz lost contact in the finale. “Everything went as planned,” Vingegaard added. “We had this tactic and it paid off.”
Vingegaard’s own caution was still there. He stressed that he had come to the Tour “to do the best possible GC” and that “it’s only Stage 1”, with three weeks still to race.
Stage 2 begins with Vingegaard in yellow, Pogacar already 12 seconds down, and Visma carrying the first major result of the 2026 Tour de France.
Kieran WoodDeputy Editor-in-Chief
Kieran Wood is a sports journalist based in Wales and has been active in journalism since 2022. He regularly contributes to DartsNews.com and CyclingUpToDate.com, where he covers professional cycling and darts. In cycling, his work includes liveblogs from major races, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España, alongside race reports and analysis. He has also conducted interviews with professional riders.
His reporting spans the full racing calendar, from one-day classics to stage races, with a focus on accurate, real-time coverage and clear contextual analysis. For statistics, results, and historical context, he regularly uses resources such as ProCyclingStats. To support reporting on rider activity and training context where relevant, he also references Strava.
In his work, Kieran places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles as new, verified information becomes available.
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- You're right about Kieran Wood, but he keeps reminding us he's the big Deputy Editor-in-Chief !?!? He says his focus is on accurate, real-time coverage and clear contextual analysis. Kieran also says he places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles as new, verified information becomes available. So... he's gotta be right in saying Pogi is a four time TDF winner!?!? ... or maybe not!?!? LOL !!!PogiSloFans03-11-2026
- A busy boy!Lozza03-11-2026
- I hope 2027 is his year.mij03-11-2026
- why does he have to? many GT riders from Froome to Contador to Indurain didn't do them.mij03-11-2026
- I think Jonas would have lost the TDF by 4+ minutes (at the least) and might not have even been in the top 3. Too much talent in the younger riders to say anyone not named Pogačar would have been top 3md197503-11-2026
- this is just stupid. you already have 23%, gravel is over the topabstractengineer03-11-2026
- There was once a time when Lance was supremely popular and he used his artificial "It's Not About the Bike: My Journey Back to Life" persona to lead his mob in going after Greg. There was no one Lance did not abuse in protecting his phony hero image. Lance promoted himself as a divine megastar and he let down millions of cancer victims and gullible devotees who clung far too long to the charade. Lance is the epitome of a corrupt person and because of his power, many around him, including business enterprises, succumbed to the evil. All who got in Armstrong's way were mercilessly attacked by him and his minions. This remarkably continues today with a new generation. LeMond was a number one enemy and paid a huge price. Who do you think slandered who?Yepperoni03-11-2026
- You despise him because he calls out the truth....OK clown !frieders303-11-2026
- JV is really slighting himself with not doing the 1 dayers.. 🤷
leedorney02-11-2026 - Watch the interview on youtube. I don't speak French. I do speak English and Spanish and you can hear it in his voice. Years ago LeMond had real personal problems I imagine in no small part because of Armstrong. then Armstrong goes round "full blast" re: LeMond having drinking and drug problems. The same way Andreu was expelled from mainstream cycling so was LeMond. On the positive side the clips of the ride and chatting with old teammates and was good. To seemed like a fun day and experience and good reason brush up his French.atom02-11-2026
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