"I still believe in myself and my plan" - Rocky time-trial shakes Jonas Vingegaard but doesn't take him out
Cycling
Jonas Vingegaard looked very strong in the Criterium du Dauphiné's time-trial and entered today's stage with high expectations and even the possibility of taking time on Tadej Pogacar. Ultimately, the two-time winner of the Tour de France was perhaps the defeated face of the day, shedding over a minute to his main rival after a bad day on the bike.
"I just didn't have the legs. I'm losing a bit of time, but my legs didn't feel good," Vingegaard admitted in a post-race interview. "So the result reflects the feeling in my legs. I was fighting my legs and my bike. I was surprised by my legs, but sometimes that's part of cycling."
Bad days are relatively inevitable for riders over the course of an entire Grand Tour, but this was a particularly bad day for the feeling to take over the leader of Team Visma | Lease a Bike. From the first kilometers of the time-trial it already looked evident that there would be a time loss, but everytime he crossed an intermediate point, the clock would bring bad news to the Dutch team that also had Matteo Jorgenson with a modest time when comparing to his Dauphiné performance.
This shouldn't affect the team's performance in the coming days or be a bad sign, however it puts the team in a position of pressure to already take time on UAE and Pogacar and creating a clear order where UAE can race conservatively and leave Visma to do the work.
As for time gaps, there is now 1:13 separating Vingegaard from Pogacar, and only a fourth place in the overall classification. "Luckily, the Tour is still long. I still believe in myself and my plan; I still believe we can win," he assured however.
"Look, the difference is around a minute now. That seems like a lot at first glance, but we know from recent years that the Tour has been won with more than that.”
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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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- guess what Valgren, you're 34, and no you're not good enough. sorry to say.mij14-11-2026
- I'm a sepp fan and like to think he earned that LOL, indulge me : ) I think Jonas was fine. Roglic did not want to concede to Sepp. and I don't think you ever attack your own teammate in the leaders jersey if he is holding his own, which Sepp just about was.mij14-11-2026
- enough time? he's 24 years old. He's won 10 races over the last 2 years and some are significant. I won't argue about his attitude being good - it needs to improve. But with some coaching and mentorship he has a lot of winning ahead of him and has plenty of time to win a GT. I don't think he will ever beat Tadej, but everyone else is fair game Look at Mas and Valverde - they were 31 and 29, respectively, when they won the Vuelta.mij14-11-2026
- Pogacar has a fine head on his shoulders.Careful investments and a couple of coffee shops sounds like a wonderful way to chill after an intense career.Stay healthy GOAT.
Brucegel14-11-2026 - I live in Maribor.PogiSloFans14-11-2026
- I live in Ljubljana and often go on trips in the surrounding area, where I frequently see young cyclists in 'Pogi Team' jerseys training, either alone or in groups. By simply motivating so many young people to take up cycling, Tadej has already achieved something truly significant.Velijo14-11-2026
- That's an excellent point. It's interesting that Vader came to that realization only after he learned that his contract wasn't going to be renewed.
santiagobenites14-11-2026 - Indeed! A reluctant gift maybe. Even more reluctant gift from Roglic! Tho I can’t see that Rog would have beaten Ving anyway.Lozza14-11-2026
- That really nasty crash in 2022 Liege must have played a big part - broken ribs, pneumothorax. You only have to look at his points tallies pre and post.Lozza14-11-2026
- Yeah, good luck getting tv and race organisers like ASO etc to part with their cash!Lozza14-11-2026
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