“I’m not going to speculate on that at all" - Jonas Vingegaard shuts down talk of Tadej Pogacar's crash injuries at 2025 Tour de France

The first big mountain top finish of the Tour de France is always a highly anticipated and much discussed part of the cycling calendar. This year though, ahead of the stage 12 summit finish atop Hautacam, there has been an added element of intrigue added following Tadej Pogacar's crash on stage 11.

If Pogacar is to show any signs of being affected by the crash, the rider most likely to take advantage is of course Jonas Vingegaard. Speaking to Danish media TV2 ahead of stage 12 though, the Team Visma | Lease a Bike leader wasn't getting drawn into any conversation about the potential ramifications of Pogacar's crash from the day prior.

“It’s clear that today is going to be extremely tough. It’s already incredibly hot, and it’s only going to get harder,” previews Vingegaard from the start line. “We’ve given some thought to our tactics, of course, but I’m not going to stand here and reveal them.”

As mentioned though, Pogacar's condition and potential injury issues are not something Vingegaard wants to discuss. “I’m not going to speculate on that at all. I think that’s something you should ask him directly,” he shuts down firmly, turning attention back to the stage in prospect. “Of course, when a stage finishes on a climb like this, you naturally think it could be a chance to go for the win. That’s the long game we’ve got in mind – and then we’ll just have to see how it plays out. A lot will depend on what the other teams decide to do.”