"I struggle to see how that happens to be honest" - Geraint Thomas isn't convinced Vingegaard can reel in Pogacar at Tour de France
CyclingSunday, 19 July 2026 at 13:34
Jonas Vingegaard finds himself at a gap of 4:30 behind Tadej Pogacar after 14 stages of the 2026 Tour de France. Visma | Lease a Bike have remained positive about both Vingegaard's level and the team's ability to overturn the UAE Team Emirates - XRG leader's command of the yellow jersey.
However, Geraint Thomas doesn't see the Dane claiming a third yellow jersey as he looks ahead to stage 15 as well as a brutal final week. Pogacar put on a demonstration once again in Alsace as he attacked the group of favourites and took a 25th stage win.
Visma had taken up the pacing on the steep Col du Haag climb as Sepp Kuss controlled the group before Vingegaard himself came to the front. In what could be interpreted as a defensive move, the Dane's pace meant he put other general classification riders on the backfoot.
With the team suggesting that long climbs, such as the looming Alps and stage 15's Plateau de Solaison looming, will be where Vingegaard could come into his own - Thomas doesn't see them turning the tide.
"They know him better in his team but I struggle to see how that happens to be honest. I know he was in control in the Giro, but the Tour is the Tour, the start of this race has been so hard," Thomas told reporters.
Geraint Thomas on Vingegaard
Thomas has had a close-up look at this year's Tour in the Netcompany INEOS team car, and implied that Visma perhaps the Dutch team know more than him. From a vicious start to the Tour, Thomas has seen the effect it has had on riders on his team.
"But they [Visma] know him a lot better than me. For our boys, it's just about trying to be on the front foot and seeing how we can go."
INEOS have Egan Bernal in 11th place and chasing breakaways in recent days. Alongside the Colombian, Thymen Arensman has also been at the front of racing, and not for the first time this season. Both riders rode the Giro d'Italia in May and are taking on their second grand tour in two months.
"Egan's been riding well, Thymen has been suffering a bit, but I think we need to look at what he did last year. He did the Giro and then he came here and won two days at the back end of the race."
Thomas on Giro-Tour double
"We just need to stick to the process, keep doing the right things and stay positive, and we'll see."
Thomas knows the burden a Giro-Tour schedule takes on a rider after attempting it himself in 2024. That year he took a Giro podium and says that he found himself physically and mentally checked out.
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"It is tough, especially when the Tour is the second of the two Grand Tours because it's the hardest. We'll see in the next week, that's where the Tour starts, you could say. There are some really tough GC stages coming up now.
"I did the Giro-Tour once [in 2024, Ed.] and it wasn't pretty. I didn't necessarily enjoy the Tour after that, but I was in a different stage of my career. I was 38 and third in the Giro [in 2024] took it out of me, by the Tour I was just out."
Gavin QuinnCycling Journalist
Gavin Quinn is a cycling journalist and ultra-distance cyclist with a BA in Journalism from Dublin City University. Formerly the Press & Communications Officer for Cycling Ireland, Gavin has worked inside the national team at the World Championships and has reported for the Irish Mirror, Mirror UK, and The42.
His expertise is backed by elite-level access, having interviewed stars like Sam Bennett and Ben Healy, as well as immense personal endurance. In 2025, he completed a 12,000km solo cycle from Ireland to Vietnam, following a 4,600km tour across Europe. From the cobbles of Paris-Roubaix to the gradients of the Tourmalet, Gavin’s writing focuses on the "romance and brutality" of the sport. Having visited 50+ countries, he brings a global, cultural perspective to his coverage of the pro peloton for CyclingUpToDate.
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