"Hate to write riders off, but Jonas Vingegaard has reached his ceiling" – French ex-pros claim Tadej Pogacar is without clear rival heading into 2026
Cycling
Tadej Pogacar could enter 2026 without a genuine rival at the very top of men’s cycling, according to former professionals Nicolas Fritsch and Steve Chainel.
Speaking on Eurosport’s Bistrot Vélo, the two French analysts discussed the balance of power in the sport following another dominant campaign from the Slovenian, concluding that Jonas Vingegaard may no longer be capable of matching Pogacar’s relentless progression.
“I hate to write riders off,” Fritsch admitted, “but for me, Vingegaard is clearly below Pogacar now. He’s reached his ceiling – an exceptional level, yes, the second best stage racer in the world – but he’s no longer improving, while Pogacar still is.”
Pogacar’s shadow over the peloton
Fritsch, who raced professionally in the early 2000s, believes the dynamic has shifted decisively since Vingegaard’s peak in 2023, when he crushed Pogacar in the Combloux time trial en route to his second Tour de France victory.
“His high point was that time trial,” Fritsch reflected. “Since then, he’s had that heavy crash, he’s come back from very far, and I just don’t see him returning to that level. Maybe he can still win a Grand Tour if Pogacar isn’t there – but only then.”
Chainel, a long-time Eurosport pundit and former FDJ and AG2R rider, agreed that Pogacar now stands alone at the top of the sport. “Vingegaard is still the second best in the world, which says a lot about his class,” Chainel said. “But if everything goes as normal, he can’t beat Pogacar head-to-head anymore. He’ll still win plenty, but not against Tadej on equal terms.”
Both analysts suggested that Vingegaard could shift focus in 2026, with the Giro d’Italia appearing a more realistic objective. “If I were him, I’d go for the Giro and try to win all three Grand Tours in my career,” Fritsch added. “It might look like avoiding Pogacar, but strategically, it makes sense.”
Van der Poel and Evenepoel the springtime threats
Beyond the Grand Tours, Fritsch highlighted that Pogacar’s greatest challenges could again come in the spring classics — particularly from Mathieu van der Poel and Remco Evenepoel.
“Van der Poel has proven he can rival Pogacar on his own terrain — Milano–Sanremo, Paris–Roubaix — provided he’s at 100%,” Fritsch said. “At the Tour of Flanders, Pogacar seemed to have the upper hand, but in March and April, Mathieu will be back as a rival.”
As for Evenepoel, his late-season surge left both pundits convinced he could be the one to truly test Pogacar’s range across multiple terrains. “He’s never been stronger than he was at the end of 2025,” said Fritsch. “For once, he had an uninterrupted build-up without crashes or setbacks. He’ll start 2026 from a great base, and with his new team environment, he can still improve.”
The Pogacar problem
Still, both men returned to the same unavoidable conclusion — Pogacar remains the reference point for everyone else. “If I had to bet,” Fritsch said bluntly, “I’d obviously back Pogacar for another dominant Tour de France victory in 2026. Unfortunately for the suspense, there’s no one really at his level right now.”
Chainel summed it up with a nod to the Slovenian’s enduring motivation: “Pogacar is still progressing, still hungry. That’s the scary part. When the best rider in the world keeps finding new ways to improve, there’s not much the others can do.”
Kieran WoodDeputy Editor-in-Chief
Kieran Wood is a sports journalist based in Wales and has been active in journalism since 2022. He regularly contributes to DartsNews.com and CyclingUpToDate.com, where he covers professional cycling and darts. In cycling, his work includes liveblogs from major races, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España, alongside race reports and analysis. He has also conducted interviews with professional riders.
His reporting spans the full racing calendar, from one-day classics to stage races, with a focus on accurate, real-time coverage and clear contextual analysis. For statistics, results, and historical context, he regularly uses resources such as ProCyclingStats. To support reporting on rider activity and training context where relevant, he also references Strava.
In his work, Kieran places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles as new, verified information becomes available.
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- many people advise him to grow slowly and rather do giro and/or vuelta instead of tdf. but i can totally understand that he is not satisfied with taking over once pogi declines, but instead beat him in his prime. so if he goes for tdf again, i‘m all for it. let‘s hope that pogi recovers soon!Ketterechts07-11-2026
- So gracious to offer something no-one would be prepared to pay for. The Giro is not the Tour and doesn’t command the same interest or attract the same “elite” (those willing to pay to be a part of something they consider has ego boosting potential). Roadside viewing will always largely remain free for everyone outside circuits. Introduction of a symbolic entrance to mountain climbs is worthy of exploration. Asking 1-2€ isn’t going to repulse real fans (most will spend 50-100€ on their outing that day all things included) but will prevent a portion of the total knobhead thrillseekers who will join in any large gathering as long as it’s free, just because they’re attracted to crowds, without which it it difficult for them to work up their anti-social behaviour.Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- How is radio going to help when someone went over a cliff or bridge or off the roadside into a forest unnoticed and is laying there unconscious?Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- Yep, next we’ll be accusing F1 drivers of avoiding Le Mans.Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- But on what is that opinion based? Are you holding him to a different standard than others? Are you saying he should do learn to like something he doesn’t Are you saying he hasn’t achieved enough Are you saying he pretends to be better than his results? It’s actually a really strange opinion to oust if you consider it objectively or rationally. Try applying it to others or yourself by asking if not EVERYONE should then be doing more? Nobody in athletics or swimming gets criticism for not expanding their repertoire when a rival or someone else does. In fact, most who move to another event get accused of running from their rival. Opinions are boring, the reasons behind them are what count.Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- for a medical chief to throw things like is just bad. There are already radios which were banned for spectacle. allow radios. Gps trackers are not a complete solutionabstractengineer07-11-2026
- Yeah man...PogiSloFans07-11-2026
- any rider less than 25 whether they are really ready for the position of leadership of GT is probably not the case. I think Pogi himself suffered when he was defeated by Jonas in the TDF twice. But that would be the team's job to ensure support so that they can bounce back. It requires a team and time to get back up and win after getting knocked down.abstractengineer07-11-2026
- I'm very glad he got the big late Quickstep Vuelta win and I hope he has a few left for Euskaltel-Euskadi.flyer07-11-2026
- My memories of Ivan Basso aren't good but I liked his sister Elisa ok.flyer07-11-2026
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