Alberto Contador warns Tadej Pogacar into 2025 Tour de France: "Jonas Vingegaard will be super motivated"
Cycling
If all goes well, this year will see the fifth episode of the exciting fight between Tadej Pogacar and Jonas Vingegaard at the 2025 Tour de Frnace. The two have shared the one-two last four editions, finishing second in the years they have not won. If we go back even further, the Slovenian conquered the yellow jersey also in 2020 ahead of Primoz Roglic. Alberto Contador weighs in on the rivalry.
Pogacar has 3, Vingegaard has 2. Both are facing history and seriously threaten the record of 5 currently shared by Jacques Anquetil, Eddy Merckx, Bernard Hinault and Miguel Induráin (after Lance Armstrong was stripped of his 7 titles, of course).
One cyclist who knows what the Tour de France is all about is Alberto Contador, who has won it on multiple occasions. In a recent interview, the rider from Pinto analyzed what the 2025 edition could bring. He once again praised the current world champion, who is coming off a 2024 season for the history books, but sent him a clear warning: Vingegaard could not be at the top of his talent in the last edition.
"Pogacar is an exceptional rider. I have great admiration for him. He is a very complete rider, with tremendous quality and talent; but also a very professional rider who works to give the show he gives in every race. It's not just a matter of talent, but of hard work. Maybe when he retires he will be the greatest in history," he told Agencia EFE.
However we've been seeing a very motivated Jonas Vingegaard, who is eager to once again win the Tour de France and has already been clear that this is his main goal for 2025. "We have to enjoy it. But for example this year in the Tour I think Jonas Vingegaard will be super motivated and will be a tough rival for him," he said.
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See you in may tifosi 😍#GirodItalia #GirodItaliaWomen pic.twitter.com/hDucY0tzkY
— Giro d'Italia (@giroditalia) January 13, 2025
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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Front24208-11-2026 - On a positive note, you maybe notice turning this topic into a discussion has the benefit of eliminating certain participants who do not see how they can turn it back to their sole interest ;-)Jumpyjohn08-11-2026
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