“If anyone can trouble Tadej Pogacar, it’s Jonas Vingegaard” – Alberto Contador refuses to rule out Tour de France comeback from Visma leader in 2026

Alberto Contador is convinced that the Tour de France in 2026 is far from a foregone conclusion — and believes only one rider has the tools to genuinely unsettle Tadej Pogacar at the height of his powers.

Speaking to Marca in Tenerife during the launch of his new Aurum Magma bike, the Spanish legend was clear: if there is a scenario in which Pogacar doesn’t dominate the Tour, it will be because Jonas Vingegaard finds a way to return to his peak.

“It’s difficult, but there’s Vingegaard. He knows what it is to win twice, he’s meticulous, cold, absolutely professional. If anyone can trouble Tadej, it’s him,” Contador said, refusing to entertain the idea that the Slovenian’s supremacy is completely untouchable.

Contador’s admiration for Pogacar remains unfiltered — but it isn’t blind. As he reviewed the 2025 season, the seven-time Grand Tour winner emphasised just how extraordinary the Tour champion’s level truly was. “In the Tour he was clearly superior. He’s an athlete who is redefining the sport,” Contador told Marca, still amazed by some of the Slovenian’s race-changing moves.

And yet, even an unstoppable Pogacar doesn’t make racing predictable in Contador’s eyes. The raw spectacle of the season — from the Classics to the World Championships — has convinced him that cycling is in one of its most thrilling eras.

“It’s been a wonderful year. All the Classics were fiercely contested… those duels are ones to frame,” he said, recalling the dust of Roubaix and the battle between Mathieu van der Poel and Pogacar.

And on Remco Evenepoel’s World Championship attack, he pulled no punches: “What he did at the Worlds was madness. That’s how you race when you’re not afraid to lose.”

Cycling, for Contador, is alive and kicking — because riders at the top are racing with reckless ambition.

Pressed on whether 2026 could match the fireworks of 2025, Contador laughed — but didn’t rule it out. “Asking them to match that is almost too much. It’s getting harder and harder to surprise us… the only thing left is for them to attack from the neutral zone.”

As for the familiar debate that has resurfaced — Tadej Pogacar vs Eddy Merckx — Contador defused it instantly. “It’s wrong to approach it that way. They’re different eras… today riders race half as much. We can’t compare numbers. Let’s enjoy Pogacar. Every race with him is a gift.”

For him, the sport doesn’t need a new Eddy Merckx — it already has Pogacar rewriting the rules in his own style.