“He was the strongest rider and deserved to win" – Vingegaard accepts defeat to Pogacar in 2025
Cycling
There’s one stage left in the 2025 Tour de France, and Jonas
Vingegaard knows the yellow jersey is out of reach. The two-time winner will
finish second overall behind Tadej Pogacar, who is set to claim his fourth Tour
title on Sunday in Paris. Despite a solid performance in the high mountains, many
attacks on his rival, and a strong gap over third place, Vingegaard couldn’t
overcome Pogacar’s dominance across the three-week race. Even when he managed
to distance Pogacar on a summit finish on Friday’s stage 19, someone else got
there first.
Vingegaard crossed the line ahead of Pogacar on the climb to
La Plagne, but Thymen Arensman had already sealed the stage victory. “I was
trying more for the stage win, but unfortunately Thymen made a good attack and
he deserved to win. He was very strong," Vingegaard told TNT Sports.
"I couldn't take my time anymore, so I tried to play it safe and play for
the stage win. But that didn't quite work out."
That near-miss was one of several for the Danish rider
during this year’s Tour. Although he showed glimpses of his best form, he never
managed to gain serious time on Pogacar, and could not regain the title he won
in 2022 and 2023. Heading into the final stage, Vingegaard trails by 4 minutes
and 24 seconds in the general classification, but holds a commanding lead of
more than six minutes over Florian Lipowitz in third.
Looking back on the race, Vingegaard was clear-eyed about
where things stood. “Tadej was extremely strong. He was the strongest rider and
deserved to win. I have to accept that, and I'm doing so now.”
The final stage in Paris won’t change the overall standings,
but it will close the book on a Tour where Vingegaard fought hard, but couldn’t
match Pogacar’s relentless pace this year.
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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