Once again, the focus for Jonas Vingegaard in 2024 will be the Tour de France. With arguably his toughest competition coming up this year with numerous potential winners set to take part, the Dane has wasted no time in sending a message.
After a dominant performance at Gran Camino to start the season, leaving the race with three stage wins and three jerseys including the overall victory of the race, Vingegaard was once again close to his supreme best last week at Tirreno-Adriatico with a pair of stage wins and both the general classification and king of the mountains victories.
“They dominated and controlled," says Eurosport's expert analyst Jeroen Vanbelleghem, full of praise for Team Visma | Lease a Bike and their leader. “At this point in the season he has never won so much. He was also very relaxed all week, I noticed that. Not nervous at all, laughing along the way too.”
As mentioned earlier, Vingegaard will face arguably his toughest test at the Tour de France later this year as cycling's 'Big-4' of Grand Tour riders, Vingegaard, Tadej Pogacar, Remco Evenepoel and Primoz Roglic go head to head for the first time ever.
Vingegaard will certainly start as favourite however. “He clearly feels good in his team, I also noticed that,” Vanbelleghem concludes. “His team also did exceptionally well. If you look at the selection. Two boys rode the Tour de France last year: Dylan van Baarle and Vingegaard. And they were also the best in all of Tirreno.”