"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
Cycling
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.”
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".
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Rúben SilvaEditor-in-Chief
A founding contributor to CyclingUpToDate since its launch in January 2022, Ruben Silva has played a central role in shaping the site’s editorial direction and long-term growth. Before joining the project, he built his experience through independent blogging at Echelons Hub and by producing race previews for Ciclismo Internacional, developing a strong analytical voice rooted in daily engagement with professional cycling.
Beyond editorial work, he has been closely involved in the expansion and coordination of CyclingUpToDate’s wider network, helping establish and support sister platforms across multiple languages. This includes ongoing collaboration with CiclismoAlDia (Spanish), CiclismoAtual (Portuguese), WielrennenUpToDate (Dutch), and RadsportAktuell (German), contributing to a shared editorial vision and consistent international coverage.
He also helps oversee editorial governance across the network, setting standards for accuracy and consistency and coordinating updates or corrections when needed.
Originally from the Porto metropolitan area in Portugal, he holds a bachelor’s degree in Geography. His path into cycling journalism was shaped not through formal media training, but through independent reporting, community engagement, and sustained on-the-ground involvement in the sport.
Over the course of his career, he has conducted approximately 100 interviews across road cycling and cyclocross, ranging from one-to-one conversations and online formats to press conferences and on-site pre- and post-race coverage. His interviews include leading riders, team managers, and prominent figures within cycling media: Tadej Pogacar, Jonas Vingegaard, Mathieu van der Poel, Primoz Roglic, Wout van Aert, Joao Almeida and Tom Pidcock; managers like Patrick Lefevere and Joxean Matxin; and YouTube personality Bryan Kennedy (BKXC)...
Within 18 months of launch, he helped grow CyclingUpToDate’s English-language platform into one of the most-read cycling news websites, built entirely from the ground up. As both a professional journalist and lifelong cycling enthusiast, his focus remains on delivering accurate, timely, and well-contextualized coverage.
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