"I hope he doesn’t get any better" - Jonas Vingegaard says 'time will tell' if Tadej Pogacar is peaking too soon for 2025 Tour de France

For many riders, their calendars are designed around peaking at one race in particular every season. For others, they target 2 or 3 peaks within a season. Tadej Pogacar however, has shown over recent years that he can hold a peak throughout the entire campaign. Nevertheless, the Slovenian's main Maillot Jaune rival, Jonas Vingegaard is hopeful tiredness may catch up with Pogacar at the 2025 Tour de France.

At the recent Criterium du Dauphiné, things started well for Vingegaard, with the Dane sitting ahead of his Slovenian rival heading into the high mountains. That though, was when things started to go wrong. On the final weekend of the Dauphine, Pogacar sent out a Tour de France warning to Vingegaard and co by putting on a series of mountain masterclasses and claiming a dominant overall victory.

Still, Vingegaard is able to reflect on his Dauphine with positivity. “I’d hoped I’d be able to stay with him when it really mattered. But I also think my strength lies in the long, punishing days — especially as a Grand Tour progresses,” Vingegaard told TV 2 Sport. “So that’s what we have to believe in — and hope that’s where we can make the difference.”

In particular, Vingegaard things fatigue could be a weapon used to his advantage next month at the Tour de France. “You’re simply more fatigued by the time you hit the final climb. And of course, this will also be towards the end of a Grand Tour. That’s when everyone is worn out — and hopefully, that’ll be to my advantage too,” explains the two-time Maillot Jaune winner. 

As mentioned already though, when it comes to Pogacar, thoughts of fatigue are more in hope that expectation. “Yes, of course I hope he doesn’t get any better — and that I do improve before the Tour," Vingegaard concludes. "But time will tell.”