"I wouldn't be surprised if they attack early" - Jonas Vingegaard to be alert from the get-go on stage 12 of the Tour de France

An up-and-down, hilly day, stage 12 of the 2023 Tour de France has the potential to cause problems for the general classification riders. For overall race leader Jonas Vingegaard, there is a need to be on high-alert.

"I wouldn't be surprised if they attack early, so we have to be attentive from the start," the Jumbo-Visma leader previewed, referencing a potential move from his main rival for the Maillot Jaune, Tadej Pogacar and UAE Team Emirates. “It will be very interesting."

With two categorised climbs in the first 40km of the day and plenty of uncategorised climbing also, the course is definitely set up for a potential long-range Pogacar attack. “It goes up and down a lot and it will be interesting to see what the plans of the other teams will be," says Vingegaard. "In any case, our plan is to defend the yellow jersey. And we have to make sure that no dangerous riders get away in the opening phase.”

Following stage 12 comes a monumental weekend of Alpine mountains where it's likely the winner of the 2023 Tour de France will be decided. “I'm really looking forward to the weekend. Those will be three very tough stages and I think I'm ready for that," Vingegaard concludes. "We are now eleven stages in, so I think everyone feels that in their legs."