20/09/2024

"If he stays at the same level, he probably cannot beat Pogacar anymore" - Visma DS on Jonas Vingegaard, who should not make Giro-Tour double in 2025

Jonas Vingegaard has now since 2021 focused on the Tour de France fully. He has finished second twice and won the 2022 and 2023 editions... It had been rumoured that next year the Giro d'Italia could already by in the Dane's plan but that has been refused by one of the team's DS'.

"I don't know where that story comes from. At the moment I don't think it's realistic. But that's just my opinion," Frans Maassen said in an interview with Het Laatste Nieuws. "I expect that we will see Jonas in the Tour, but we will only evaluate in October and then we will make new plans for next year. This is just my opinion, but I do not see a scenario for him in which he does not participate in the Tour.”

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The routes of the Giro and the Tour will be presented in October right after the end of the 2024 road season and only after that will most riders start to form an idea of what they will be aiming for. Little is known about the route of both... But in all honesty a rider like Vingegaard who is an extremely talented climber and time-trialist would be a main favourite to win both - the degree of favouritism would depend much more on Tadej Pogacar's presence.

But Vingegaard is likely hunting down another Tour de France win and is unlikely to change what has over the past years been a winning formula. “Jonas does not like the idea of having to return to the Tour and then finish second. He wants to be the best and has to work very hard to improve," Maassen assures. "That will be a challenge, because if he stays at the same level, he probably cannot beat Pogacar anymore".

This year the Slovenian took another step towards evolving in the mountains and it is becoming difficult to challenge him in any race that features climbing. “He has to find a way to improve. He has grown a lot mentally in the past seasons. He has become a different rider this year. He has survived everything this season".