"In the mountains, Vingegaard isn't any worse than Pogacar" - Alejandro Valverde's surprisingly tips Tour de France favourites to be evenly matched
CyclingThursday, 02 July 2026 at 16:00
Tadej Pogacar and Jonas Vingegaard are going to be evenly matched when it comes to the mountains at the 2026 Tour de France, according to Alejandro Valverde. The Spanish legend reckons that the Dane has shown he can follow the Tour champion when the road goes uphill.
Despite Pogacar's dominance at the 2025 Tour and the pair not crossing paths this season, the former Movistar leader thinks we'll see an open Tour de France when it comes to general classification.
The main reason for this: Vingegaard has rediscovered his form of old and Pogacar has shown that he'll also bring his usual high level to the Grand Boucle. Valverde noted that the emergence of Paul Seixas is another exciting addition to the GC scene.
"I think it's going to be a pretty open Tour, open between three or four riders," Valverde told Mundo Deportivo, implying that other favourites such as Remco Evenepoel, Florian Lipowitz and Isaac del Toro will add spice to the GC battle.
"I think Jonas Vingegaard has rediscovered his best form, and Tadej Pogacar is doing very well, he's not worse, he's fantastic. He's super strong, with Paul Seixas joining that group of big stars. So, I think we're going to have an exciting Tour de France."
Team time trial will be "crucial"
When it comes to the parcours, Valverde sees a chance for others to upset Pogacar and Vingegaard right from the off thanks to a team time trial opening stage on Saturday. He thinks the time trials during the race may play a big factor, particularly for the other riders outside of the big two.
"Time trials are crucial, because ultimately, in the mountains, Vingegaard isn't any worse than Pogacar, nor is Pogacar any better," he said. "I think they'll be very evenly matched in the mountains, and it's in the time trials where we've seen both Pogacar and Vingegaard perhaps not at their best."
How can Pogacar be beaten? Valverde thinks team composition and tactics will play a role. Both Pogacar's UAE Team Emirates - XRG and Vingegaard's Visma | Lease a Bike follow similar team builds, with rouleurs and medium mountain helpers. However, after Wout van Aert was ruled out of the Tour, Davide Piganzoli's addition underlined a change.
With Piganzoli, Sepp Kuss and Matteo Jorgenson, Visma seemingly have more support in higher or long climbs than UAE - who boast del Toro and Adam Yates.
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Vingegaard and Pogacar battle
"In the end, Pogacar is far superior to the rest of the peloton, except for Vingegaard. Jonas, when he's on form, has already given Pogacar trouble, and I think we're going to have a very exciting duel there."
He added: "Going head-to-head with him isn't the best approach; maybe they should look for a team strategy. They need to exploit his weaknesses with the team and try to isolate him at some point during a certain phase, and see what happens in that situation."
Pushed to make a prediction, Valverde can't make up his mind: "I'm clear on the first two, I don't know in what order, I would say Pogacar and Vingegaard, and I don't dare to choose the third one."
Gavin QuinnCycling Journalist
Gavin Quinn is a cycling journalist and ultra-distance cyclist with a BA in Journalism from Dublin City University. Formerly the Press & Communications Officer for Cycling Ireland, Gavin has worked inside the national team at the World Championships and has reported for the Irish Mirror, Mirror UK, and The42.
His expertise is backed by elite-level access, having interviewed stars like Sam Bennett and Ben Healy, as well as immense personal endurance. In 2025, he completed a 12,000km solo cycle from Ireland to Vietnam, following a 4,600km tour across Europe. From the cobbles of Paris-Roubaix to the gradients of the Tourmalet, Gavin’s writing focuses on the "romance and brutality" of the sport. Having visited 50+ countries, he brings a global, cultural perspective to his coverage of the pro peloton for CyclingUpToDate.
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