"That’s my only fear, that he goes a bit more into damage-limitation mode" - Alberto Contador has serious warning for Jonas Vingegaard's Tour de France
CyclingWednesday, 15 July 2026 at 13:50
The Tour de France again painted a worrying picture for Jonas Vingegaard. The Team Visma | Lease a Bike leader saw once more that, right now, Tadej Pogacar is a step above on the climbs, but the issue for the Dane was not only losing time to the Slovenian. The bigger concern was conceding seconds to direct rivals such as Juan Ayuso and Remco Evenepoel.
A scenario that is starting to raise doubts about the strategy Vingegaard can adopt for the remainder of the Tour de France. The two-time winner of La Grand Boucle remains the main candidate to fight for second place and pounce on any Pogacar weakness, but the feeling after the latest stage is that each attack by the UAE Team Emirates-XRG rider opens a gap that is increasingly hard to close.
One of the most concerned analysts was Alberto Contador on Eurosport. The former Spanish rider praised the bravery shown by several riders during the stage, but acknowledged that the big loser was Vingegaard, who ended up shouldering too much of the chase.
“I really liked what I saw because there was a bit of bravery, a boldness in trying to put UAE under pressure,” Contador said of how the race unfolded.
The Tour de France winner particularly highlighted the offensive work by rival teams trying to trouble the Emirati squad. “There was a moment when Adam Yates was pulling and Prodhomme was about to come through, and Adam Yates pushed even harder. That blew his teammate Magnolti and in the end Adam Yates also had to swing off because Proudhomme was on a spectacular day.”
Jonas Vingegaard, Visma star
“The one who mainly carried the weight of the chase was Vingegaard”
Contador praised the aggressive intent of riders who tried to test UAE’s control, but noted that the final pattern clearly favored Pogacar and left a difficult image for Vingegaard.
“Then we saw how Piganzoli took charge on the final part of the climb up to the last kilometer, which is where Tadej launched his attack,” the Madrileño analyzed.
That move by the Slovenian split the race again. “Those accelerations caused Isaac del Toro to lose contact with that small group, and then that final, perhaps wider stretch is what gave Tadej a bit of uncertainty.”
For Contador, that was practically the only positive note for the Tour leader’s rivals: “The only negative I see here is that the one who mainly carried the weight of the chase was Vingegaard.”
The problem for the Dane is that he not only had to respond to Pogacar’s attacks, but also ended up losing time to riders who, in theory, should not be contesting the same general classification battle.
“Vingegaard with Remco, although Remco, theoretically from what we’ve seen, is not going to be Vingegaard’s rival for second because he has lost time on climbs that weren’t too selective, still took 18 seconds from Evenepoel: the 12 seconds he gained on the road plus six in bonuses,” Contador explained.
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The former Spanish rider’s main concern is that this situation could shift Vingegaard’s mindset. Until now, the Dane has tried to answer Pogačar and stay close to the Slovenian, but each stage makes it clearer that attacking the UAE leader looks an extremely difficult mission.
“Maybe the team tells him, ‘Hey, yes, we came to try to win the Tour, but we’re seeing how you’ve stuck your neck out, then we’ll put you on the front, they’ve all taken time on you, and let’s see,’” Contador said of Visma’s possible internal message.
And there came his key warning for the race ahead: “That’s my only fear, that he goes a bit more into damage-limitation mode after what Jonas experienced today.”
Gavin QuinnCycling Journalist
Gavin Quinn is a cycling journalist and ultra-distance cyclist with a BA in Journalism from Dublin City University. Formerly the Press & Communications Officer for Cycling Ireland, Gavin has worked inside the national team at the World Championships and has reported for the Irish Mirror, Mirror UK, and The42.
His expertise is backed by elite-level access, having interviewed stars like Sam Bennett and Ben Healy, as well as immense personal endurance. In 2025, he completed a 12,000km solo cycle from Ireland to Vietnam, following a 4,600km tour across Europe. From the cobbles of Paris-Roubaix to the gradients of the Tourmalet, Gavin’s writing focuses on the "romance and brutality" of the sport. Having visited 50+ countries, he brings a global, cultural perspective to his coverage of the pro peloton for CyclingUpToDate.
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