Get a taste of the Tour de France celebrations and join the victory ride ride with Jonas on @GoZwift tomorrow. ⚡️ Sign up here: zwift.com/uk/events/view…
"Even a Vingegaard has to be 100% to win" - Stijn Steels believes it will be hard for Jonas Vingegaard to win Vuelta a Espana
CyclingWednesday, 26 July 2023 at 20:07
Jonas Vingegaard is heading to the Vuelta a Espana after his win at the Tour de France and it will be an interesting plot for the upcoming weeks. How well will he fare in Spain, what will his role be, and will he be able to be the first rider since Chris Froome to win two Grand Tours in the same year.
"The more top riders against each other, the more fun, of course. It will make the Vuelta even more attractive, will increase the spectacle," Stijn Steels told Sporza. "I am curious about Vingegaard's approach, because his preparation for the Vuelta will not be as it should be. All his competitors are already with form, while he still has to recover from his Tour victory and then build up again."
Steels, former Soudal - Quick-Step rider, is aware that his former teammate Remco Evenepoel is among those preparing with a high degree of focus towards the Vuelta and will make life hard for the Dane. The likes of Juan Ayuso and João Almeida for UAE Team Emirates, Geraint Thomas for INEOS Grenadiers and Vingegaard's teammate Primoz Roglic will also be at the start and aiming high and that will be a significant challenge for Vingegaard.
Play along with our Fantasy Vuelta a España 2023. At least $28,000/€25,000/£21,000 in prizes! Click here to create your own Fantasy Vuelta a España team.
Specially as his preparation was built towards the Tour, and now the Vuelta is a different challenge. "It will be difficult to be 100% at the start. And even a Vingegaard has to be 100% to win, I think," the Belgian argues. "If you are a world class rider, you are expected to be able to beat everyone. Knowing Remco it will only give him more motivation, because now he can beat anyone. It would give a possible overall victory even more prestige."
In any scenario it is expected to be a Vuelta packed with fireworks, with an explosive route that features plenty hilly and mountainous days. The startlist will be of high quality, and Steels wonders on how Vingegaard will do against the riders who have specifically prepared these last few months ahead of the final Grand Tour of the season.
"Purely in terms of class, Vingegaard is currently almost unbeatable when it comes to a race of 3 weeks. At least if he can prepare optimally. But as I said: I don't think he can be 100%. If Vingegaard is only 95%, I think they will be worth each other. You will also have to be at the top level for 3 weeks if you want to win this Vuelta. The course is very difficult, there are at least 12 stages where the top riders "have to be awake". That's why I'm giving Remco a chance."
Read also
claps 2visitors 7699
Just in
Popular news
Latest comments
- So you're bored, got itvappaxbipmv22-12-2024
- Does everything need to have a point? If so, 99% of the internet should be wiped away. In relation to recent articles with quotes from other riders, my statement points to the ever more obvious reason why they are asked to comment on the effect of his return.Mistermaumau22-12-2024
- If anyone would be interested enough to launch an official survey as to who out of these three should shut up, I don’t know who’d win but I’m due Boonen would be way back in 3rd place.Mistermaumau22-12-2024
- And your point is what exactly?vappaxbipmv22-12-2024
- MVDP dominates this sport even more than Pogaçar dominates road racing. Also he can beat Tadej on the road quite regularly, the opposite is unlikely.Mistermaumau22-12-2024
- If you listen to team radios you'll hear each DS telling their riders to ride faster, fight their way to the front, and all occupy the same 8 places.Sweep22-12-2024
- You're talking about a sport where equipment and clothing is measured in grams.Sweep22-12-2024
- “During a TT, I am basically blind”. That was his quote after crashing into the barriers in a TT. The problem isn’t the UCI, radios or air bags. The problem is the riders and their teams.JoeyB22-12-2024
- I think you overestimate scientific knowledge and for sure the spreading of it. There are huge numbers of people in similar situations, if there were an easy solution somebody would be making big money out of it. Nerve pain can have many complex origins or be due to complex combinations of reasons. Even if you discover a reason there is not always a solution. Migraines haven’t been solved either. I have had lower back/hip nerve pains on and off for over 30 years, no kind of doctor has ever found a way to reduce, prevent or solve the problem. It may just be that some people are born with nerves that are too short or get twisted out of position during certain movements.Mistermaumau22-12-2024
- Amazing ride by her and very promising for her future. On a side note, it’s a bit worrying all these wins riders have after emotional moments in their lives, someone will come up with emotional doping at some point. Maybe give them fake news just before a big race to get hormones pumping.Mistermaumau22-12-2024