Jonas Vingegaard continues to show an incredible shape, given the circumstances, at the 2024 Tour de France. As the first day is reached the still recovering Dane sits 3rd overall at 1:15 off the Maillot Jaune of Tadej Pogacar.
On the gravel stage 9, Vingegaard was in full defensive mode after an ill-timed mechanical saw the Team Visma | Lease a Bike leader on a teammate's bike and the unrelenting pace not allowing the Dane any opportunity to switch back to one of his own. The tactics of the defending Tour de France champion on the gravel of stage 9 was not without criticism however.
"If it looks like a wheel sucker, it rides like one and it acts like a wheel sucker, then it is a wheel sucker. Signed, Jonas Vingegaard," wrote former commentator Maarten Ducrot on his official X (Twitter) account.
He wasn't the only one either with Tadej Pogacar himself expressing confusion at Team Visma | Lease a Bike tactics. "At some point, Remco, Jonas Vingegaard and I went up the road. I think it was a great opportunity for us to put some time on the rest of the GC favourites and secure the podium, but Jonas refused to cooperate," he recalled in his post-stage interview. "I think Visma is just focusing on me and underestimating the other GC contenders. They just follow me, without thinking of Primoz Roglic or Remco."
There was some defence of the Dane however, with the experienced Danny Nelissen sticking up for Team Visma | Lease a Bike. "Vingegaard doesn't let himself get carried away, riding along wouldn't have been smart. It's not his bike and he has a lot of teammates in the group behind him," the analyst explains in quotes collected by Wielerrevue. "Vingegaard does that well. Staying on the wheel and letting Pogacar race. It's doable in the third week. Team Visma | Lease a Bike does not see Evenepoel as a major competitor, otherwise they would have worked together. It's Pogi versus Jonas and the other way around."
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