"He’s simply smarter than the others” - Danish icon hits back at Remco Evenepoel's criticism of Jonas Vingegaard over ‘defensive’ riding

Jonas Vingegaard left the Volta a Catalunya with the overall win, two stage victories and a familiar debate around his racing style. Remco Evenepoel questioned the approach. Rolf Sorenson has now pushed back.

The Danish former pro dismissed the idea that Vingegaard’s riding should be viewed as overly cautious, instead framing it as a strength built on control and timing. “Remco even goes out and criticises him, saying he rides defensively and so on. But he’s simply smarter than the others,” Sorenson said on Radio Tour.

The remark was a direct response to one of the defining tactical themes of Catalunya. Evenepoel spent much of the race trying to create situations, from the crosswinds on the opening day to the repeated accelerations on the Montjuic circuit in Barcelona, but Vingegaard never gave him the kind of race he wanted. By the final stage, the Belgian’s frustration was clear. “Jonas rode very defensively again, like he has all week. There was nothing I could do about that,” Evenepoel said afterwards.

That tension had already been building earlier in the race. Evenepoel felt the opening stage could have reshaped the general classification had Vingegaard committed to the move. “On day one, I immediately showed I was ready in that crosswind stage. If Jonas had just worked with us there, the race could already have been decided.”

Instead, Vingegaard kept the race under control until the terrain fully suited him. When the key mountain stage arrived, he made the decisive move, took over the race lead and then added another stage win the following day to settle the overall classification beyond doubt.

Evenepoel’s frustration centred on moments earlier in the race, where cooperation could have changed the shape of the general classification. But Vingegaard never took that risk. “He could have worked with him to the finish on the first stage, but there was no reason to. He has to look after himself.”

That approach has been consistent across his 2026 season. Paris-Nice followed a similar pattern, with Vingegaard controlling the race before asserting himself on terrain that suited him best.

Despite winning Paris-Nice comfortably, Vingegaard still faced scrutiny after he was unable to drop Lenny Martinez on the final stage. “I was close to losing it when there was criticism of him on that final stage,” Sorenson said. “Because he couldn’t drop Lenny Martinez, there was this outcry that it actually wasn’t very good. I simply don’t understand that. It’s completely irrelevant whether he drops him or not. He rode to win the stage and then gets beaten right on the line.”

For Sorenson, the key difference is not just the results, but how they are being delivered. “It’s a sharper version of himself, where he almost does whatever he wants,” he said.

Across both Paris-Nice and Catalunya, Vingegaard has shown a level of control that leaves little margin for others to dictate the race. He has not needed to respond to every move, only the ones that matter. “This is a very strong version of Vingegaard that we are seeing this year.”

It is that ability to decide when the race is won, rather than simply reacting to it, that continues to define his season.