"I may not be the most explosive version of myself" - Jonas Vingegaard explains long effort and change of tactics in the Vosges
CyclingSaturday, 18 July 2026 at 20:03
Jonas Vingegaard is a pure climber and his specialty lies in the longer efforts. Hence, today on the Col du Haag
the Team Visma | Lease a Bike rider didn't wait for his rivals to attack or make the race, he instead hit the front and rode his own tempo, dropping his rivals all one by one... Except for Tadej Pogacar.
Great legs for the Dane
On the Col du Tourmalet he had shown it, but when the efforts were shorter and more explosive, the two-time Tour de France winner did not look to be able to distance his rivals at this year's Tour.
The yellow jersey at this time is over 4:30 minutes away from Vingegaard already, but he continues putting pressure and this Saturday he was the one to take initiative on the final climb instead of Tadej Pogacar.
"I got the answers that my legs are extremely good. I think I was riding really well. I'm happy with how I rode myself, and the team," the Dane said in words to TV2.
When Pogacar attacked 1.5 kilometers away from the summit of the climb, Vingegaard, who had spent around 3 kilometers in the head of the group, was the one setting the pace behind and managed to drop his rivals on the final minutes of the effort. He remains the second strongest climber in the race, although he was then caught by Paul Seixas around the summit of the ascent.
Jonas Vingegaard leading the GC group up the Col du Haag
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Lack of explosivity the reason behind pacing
Sepp Kuss and DS Marc Reef had already explained that the plan was to make it a long drawn out effort, pushing the pace hard from early on and trying to deny Pogacar of his traditional climbing 'kick' which no-one is usually able to follow.
Vingegaard was decided in setting a very high pace all the way to the finish from early on, but there seemed to be little difference in comparison to stage 6 - whilst the gaps at the end were not significant in the fight for the podium spots.
"We know after the Giro that I may not be the most explosive version of myself. So if I'm going to try to ride away from someone, it will probably be more on the long, hard stretch," Vingegaard explained. "That's why we first tried to set a hard pace with Sepp Kuss, and then I took over, but I don't think the climb... It was a bit of a fun climb."
The summit finish to the Plateau de Solaison this Sunday could however provide a better opportunity for such a tactic to function, as it is less of an explosive climb but rather, a hard effort from the very base to the finish.
Rúben SilvaEditor-in-Chief
A founding contributor to CyclingUpToDate since its launch in January 2022, Ruben Silva has played a central role in shaping the site’s editorial direction and long-term growth. Before joining the project, he built his experience through independent blogging at Echelons Hub and by producing race previews for Ciclismo Internacional, developing a strong analytical voice rooted in daily engagement with professional cycling.
Beyond editorial work, he has been closely involved in the expansion and coordination of CyclingUpToDate’s wider network, helping establish and support sister platforms across multiple languages. This includes ongoing collaboration with CiclismoAlDia (Spanish), CiclismoAtual (Portuguese), WielrennenUpToDate (Dutch), and RadsportAktuell (German), contributing to a shared editorial vision and consistent international coverage.
He also helps oversee editorial governance across the network, setting standards for accuracy and consistency and coordinating updates or corrections when needed.
Originally from the Porto metropolitan area in Portugal, he holds a bachelor’s degree in Geography. His path into cycling journalism was shaped not through formal media training, but through independent reporting, community engagement, and sustained on-the-ground involvement in the sport.
Over the course of his career, he has conducted approximately 100 interviews across road cycling and cyclocross, ranging from one-to-one conversations and online formats to press conferences and on-site pre- and post-race coverage. His interviews include leading riders, team managers, and prominent figures within cycling media: Tadej Pogacar, Jonas Vingegaard, Mathieu van der Poel, Primoz Roglic, Wout van Aert, Joao Almeida and Tom Pidcock; managers like Patrick Lefevere and Joxean Matxin; and YouTube personality Bryan Kennedy (BKXC)...
Within 18 months of launch, he helped grow CyclingUpToDate’s English-language platform into one of the most-read cycling news websites, built entirely from the ground up. As both a professional journalist and lifelong cycling enthusiast, his focus remains on delivering accurate, timely, and well-contextualized coverage.
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- Yawn.
santiagobenites18-07-2026 - Stage 14 and there's 5 guys within a minute of JV. I think there is a good chance JV may finish around 5th place. He looks as good as these other 5 riders. And that's not good for him.Cyclingnut18-07-2026
- Happy for Tadej, sad for Jonas. I hope he keeps winning the races Tadej doesn't compete in. more Vueltas, Giros, Paris-Nices, Dauphinés, Itzulias... having an even more successful career than he already has; unfortunately, he was born in the same era as that alien, Tadej.
liborio18-07-2026 - The truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth: Vingegaard has already ridden his best Tours. He's no longer a serious rival to Pogačar, and even less so in the years to come. Del Toro and Seixas are more likely contenders, and there will probably be others as well. But none of that changes the fact: once Pogi wins his eighth Tour, he'll retire. Everyone else will get their chance afterward.mus-musculuspeedypogigonzales18-07-2026
- The Visma plan is going in the right direction. Everything is according to plan, don't worry guys. Let's see that famous plan of Visma tomorrow, I can't wait and I'm sure DelToro and Pogačar can't wait either... LOL ...mus-musculuspeedypogigonzales18-07-2026
- No, Remco drifted off the back but then fought back and pushed to the line. He really is handling the long climbs better than I thought. On a mountain top finish though, Lippo is their man.Pedalmasher18-07-2026
- finally some selection. unfortunately, i could only watch it without sound. did lipo have to wait for remco AGAIN?Ketterechts18-07-2026
- Remco the slaveabstractengineer18-07-2026
- It must make Lance crazy to know he will never be anything other than a shit stain on cycling.Crashjames18-07-2026
- If they were smart, Visma would keep the bunch together as long as possible, letting the top 10 stay in the mix - let them attack and force tadej to burn up his men chasing the attacks.Crashjames18-07-2026
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