ANALYSIS | 322 days later: Who has the most to prove in Pogacar, Vingegaard and Evenepoel’s Dauphine battle?
Cycling
On July 21st, 2024, Tadej Pogacar closed out one of the most
dominant and historic Grand Tour campaigns in modern cycling. Victory in the
time trial in Nice, sealed his third Tour de France title and completed a feat
not seen since Marco Pantani in 1998, the Giro-Tour double. But, as well know,
Pogacar didn’t stop there.
Since that memorable day in Nice, the cycling landscape has
shifted. The Slovenian superstar has extended his legend, whilst Jonas
Vingegaard has largely disappeared for the public view. And Remco Evenepoel has
fought back from adversity with defiance and flashes of brilliance.
Now, finally, the three titans of the sport will line up
together again, at the 2025 Critérium du Dauphiné. The race begins this
weekend, and quite frankly, we cannot wait.
It will be the first time since Stage 21 of last year’s Tour
that Pogacar, Vingegaard, and Evenepoel share the start line, 322 days after
that day in Nice. Last time they met, Pogacar claimed his sixth stage win of
the race (yes, six) while Vingegaard salvaged a single triumph and Evenepoel
won a time trial. But much has changed since.
Pogacar unbeatable?
No rider has matched Pogacar’s excellence or hunger. Since
that Tour de France victory, he’s added the UCI Road World Championships to his
palmarès, winning in Zurich to become just the third man in history to complete
the Triple Crown of cycling, Giro, Tour and Worlds in the same year. Only Eddy
Merckx (1974) and Stephen Roche (1987) had done so before.
Can Pogacar add another title to his collection?
He backed that up with a dominant win at Il Lombardia in
October, before returning in 2025 with a vengeance, showing no signs of slowing
down.
Victories at the Tour of Flanders and Liège–Bastogne–Liège
this spring underlined his ability to win on any terrain, and his campaign so
far this year includes five wins from eight races (one of which was a stage
race, the UAE Tour).
His record is simply staggering. Since the end of last
year’s Tour, Pogacar has taking things to yet another level. He arrives at the
Dauphiné not just as the favourite for the week-long French race, but also as
the overwhelming frontrunner to win a fourth yellow jersey this July.
But, as we know in cycling, everything can change in a heartbeat.
Mystery surrounds Vingegaard
Jonas Vingegaard, meanwhile, has been all but absent from
the peloton. After finishing second at the 2024 Tour, his reign as two-time
defending champion finally ended by Pogacar, he abandoned San Sebastián, then
bounced back to win the Tour of Poland in August. But that would be it for his
season. The Dane stepped away from racing again, celebrating the birth of his child
and remaining off the radar for months.
He returned in February at the Volta ao Algarve, where he
won overall but raised questions about his form. Then came Paris–Nice in March,
an early-season target, and disaster. A crash, concussion, and another DNF.
Since then, nothing. Just four race starts in the ten months since last year’s
Tour.
Vingegaard has not raced since March
As Vingegaard returns to the Dauphiné, his form is the
biggest unknown. His ceiling is undeniably legendary, he remains the only rider
who has ever cracked Pogacar on multiple mountain stages, but the lack of race
rhythm and the toll of his injuries create a significant question mark.
Evenepoel a threat?
Then there’s Remco Evenepoel. The Belgian left last year’s
Tour de France with a stage win and a podium finish in his debut, but it was at
the Paris Olympics where he reached new heights. With a performance for the
ages, Evenepoel became the first man in history to win both the Olympic time
trial and road race gold medals. It was the only moment all year that matched
Pogacar’s brilliance, and it’s still a shame the two didn’t clash on that
Olympic course.
Evenepoel backed it up with second place at Il Lombardia,
before suffering a brutal setback in December: a training crash involving a van
left him with injuries requiring surgery. He didn’t race again until April 18th,
but when he did, he reminded the world what he’s capable of.
Victory at Brabantse Pijl was followed by an impressive
third place at Amstel Gold Race, most notably, he closed down a solo attack
from Pogacar, something rarely seen. He was less effective at Liège but still
managed a stage win at the Tour de Romandie, suggesting form is building at
just the right time.
Will Evenepoel close the gap to the top two?
Evenepoel enters the Dauphiné as a wildcard. If his recovery
continues on this trajectory, he could become Pogacar’s biggest threat not just
in this race, but also at the Tour.
The road to July starts here
As the Critérium du Dauphiné begins on June 8th, it serves
as more than just a Tour de France warm-up. It’s the first head-to-head clash
between the sport’s Big Three in almost a year. Pogacar enters at the peak of
his powers. Evenepoel, rising. Vingegaard, a question mark.
The days of Pogacar vs Vingegaard dominating every narrative
may not be over, but fans will be hoping that Evenepoel can close the gap on
the top two.For now, the Dauphiné offers the first taste. And after 322 days,
the sport has been waiting.
Fin MajorCycling Journalist
Fin Major is a UK-based writer at CyclingUpToDate and has been part of the team since 2024. He is the site’s main writer for FAQs and evergreen explainers and has written around 2,000 pieces for the platform. Alongside this work, he focuses on in-depth analysis and covers the biggest races on the calendar, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España, providing clear context around performance trends, tactics, and key storylines.
In his reporting, Fin uses reputable data sources such as ProCyclingStats for results, statistics, and historical context. He places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles promptly when new, verified information becomes available. Outside of writing, Fin is an active cyclist, which supports his practical understanding of the sport and its demands.
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