"I see them both as equals" - Jan Ullrich insists there is nothing to separate Jonas Vingegaard & Tadej Pogacar ahead of 2025 Tour de France

Once more, the Maillot Jaune fight at the Tour de France is expected in 2025, to once again be mainly a fight between storied rivals Jonas Vingegaard and Tadej Pogacar. According to Jan Ullrich, himself a former Tour winner back in 1997, both Vingegaard and Pogacar head into this summer's Grand Tour on a level playing field.

Over the course of their head-to-head battles at the Tour de France over the last few years, Vingegaard has taken the Maillot Jaune ahead of Pogacar on two occasions, whilst the UAE Team Emirates - XRG leader has also taken two wins ahead of his Team Visma | Lease a Bike counterpart (plus one previous Maillot Jaune win from 2020 ed.). As such, on paper at least, their iconic rivalry is finely poised heading into the fifth chapter of the story later this year.

As mentioned, because of this, German former Yellow Jersey winner Jan Ullrich insists there is nothing to separate the pair ahead of the 2025 Tour de France. "I see them both as equals," insists the now-51-year-old Ullrich at a sponsorship event at the Cologne fitness trade fair FIBO. "That's why I promise all the fans, and myself, that it will be a really good fight."

When it comes to German hopefuls at the Tour de France in the coming years, Ullrich has his eyes set on Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe star Florian Lipowitz. "He's a great guy, I like him. He can climb mountains, he can time trial, he can position himself at the front," says an impressed Ullrich on his younger compatriot. "These are very good results, which give hope for more."

Another name to watch is Lennard Kamna, who after an almost career-threatening crash is in the midst of a return to the pro peloton at the current 2025 Volta a Catalunya for Lidl-Trek. "He's an outstanding rider, a huge talent, he's proven that often enough. I'm very excited to see how he gets back into it," said the 1997 Tour winner. "And I wish him the best of luck."