"All or nothing" - Tour de France champion Vingegaard runs through dramatic explosion at Il Lombardia
Cycling
Jonas Vingegaard returned to competition recently at the Cro Race, and at Il Lombardia he led an ambitious Jumbo-Visma. The result wasn't what he expected, but the Dane went all or nothing on the tough climbs of northern italy.
"The guys worked hard. For that, I'm grateful to them," the Tour de France champion said after the finish. "At the beginning of the race, I felt good. I was confident I would have a strong finish because the legs were strong." This led to Jumbo-Visma controlling the race, and set a strong pace at Madonna del Ghisallo to favour the pure climbers such as Vingegaard.
The Dane tried to follow the attack of Tadej Pogacar at Civiglio, but did not have the legs, eventually falling back into the chasing group, and eventually down the bunch as he exploded.
But in the end, I failed when it mattered most. It was a tough day. To be honest, I don't know if I would have been able to keep up with the best until the end if I hadn't blown myself up in the chase after that crucial moment," he said.
However, it was a decision that the Jumbo-Visma rider did not regret. "I missed a few percent. I tried to catch up and give everything, but I blew myself up. I had the option of riding much more defensively to sprint for fifth place, but I chose to play all or nothing and go for the win. I can conclude that I simply wasn't strong enough to contend for victory today," he explained.
He crossed the line in a modest 16th position, however at the end of a very successful season. "At the end of a fantastic season, that is not a disaster. I was focused on winning this race. Unfortunately, it didn't pan out like that," he concluded.
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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.
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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)...
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🇮🇹 #iLombardia The race is over. Jonas finishes in top twenty. Not the result he wanted today, but what a season this was for him. 🤩
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