"Without Pogacar, I probably would have won five Grand Tours by now" - Comparisons with Pogacar motivates Jonas Vingegaard

There is no doubt that cycling today is totally marked by the rivalry between Jonas Vingegaard and Tadej Pogacar. Although the Slovenian also clashes with Mathieu van der Poel in the Monuments, the duels he fights with the star of Visma | Lease a Bike at the Tour de France are unparalleled. Thanks to the two of them, this era will be remembered as one of the most beautiful and highest level in history.

So far, Vingegaard and Pogacar have dueled as Tour de France favorites in 5 editions. The Visma | Lease a Bike rider won two, in 2022 and 2023, and the UAE Team Emirates - XRG rider has taken 3, those of 2021, 2024 and 2025 (in 2020 he faced another Visma star, then it was Primoz Roglic).

Fans often wonder what would have happened if one of the two riders hadn't matched up with the other. Jonas Vingegaard has it very clear, as he told Marca on the last rest day of the current Vuelta a Espana 2025 (which he leads).

"Without Pogacar, I probably would have won five Grand Tours by now. It would be nice, but at the same time, it's nice to race against him. He's a good guy, and it's nice to have a rivalry like this. I could have won either this year or last year. Also, maybe at my first Grand Tour in 2021, but you never know," Jonas Vingegaard began by pointing out about his fight against the Slovenian.

As mentioned, Vingegaard is currently at the Vuelta a Espana. Before stage 17, the Visma leader holds the red jersey with almost 50 seconds ahead of Joao Almeida - another great climber from the Emirati team. As it appears, Vingegaard fatigued by the recent Tour de France is not in his most competitive shape which adds an extra tension to the red battle. But even then, the Dane is yet to stumble on his path to overall victory.

"I don't get tired of the comparison with Tadej. On the contrary, I think it motivates me because he is the best rider in the world today. If I want to win a race, I have to beat Pogacar. That gives me more motivation to improve," added the two-time Tour de France winner.

Should he win this Vuelta a Espana, Jonas Vingegaard would add a third Grand Tour title to his palmares. Then the next goal would be obvious - to try and complete his collection at the Giro d'Italia - a race he has not even tried yet. If the Visma | Lease a Bike rider indeed wins this Vuelta that could change in 2026.

"Right now I have two Tours de France. If I win the Vuelta, I would have two of the three Grand Tours. It would be very important for me to conquer all three in my palmarès. So yes, I would like to go to the Giro d'Italia," Vingegaard confessed.