"It didn’t even look like Tadej Pogacar was going full gas" - Brian Holm worries for compatriot Jonas Vingegaard after Dauphiné 2025

If there was any doubt heading into the 2025 Criterium du Dauphiné, there is little left after it. Tadej Pogacar will be the man to beat at the 2025 Tour de France next month. Although Jonas Vingegaard looked strong on his return to racing, the Dane was still notably a level below his long time rival. 

Because of this clear difference between Vingegaard and Pogacar at the Dauphiné, ex-pro and former Soudal - Quick-Step sports director Brian Holm is starting to get slightly worried about his compatriot's hopes of reclaiming the Maillot Jaune at the Tour de France later this summer. “It’s 1-0 to Pogacar, and that was a real gut punch for Vingegaard," begins Holm's analysis for Ekstra Bladet. "I’m less optimistic than I was before the Dauphiné. Before, I saw it as 50/50 — now, Pogacar’s the favourite.”

The biggest sign that Vingegaard's Tour de France hopes could be tougher than ever, was Friday’s mountain stage Holm believes, after seeing the Team Visma | Lease a Bike leader lose over a minute to Pogacar on the decisive climb. “That was more than we expected. Half a minute would’ve been acceptable," Holm observed. "And on the mountain stage the following day, it didn’t even look like Pogacar was going full gas — whereas Vingegaard said he was putting out his best numbers ever.” 

As we have seen many times over the years though, no race is ever won before the final finish line is crossed. As such, with still a few weeks to go before the Tour, Holm doesn't believe Vingegaard and Visma should be completely hopeless just yet.

“Vingegaard crashed at Paris-Nice and hasn’t raced since. But he’s always at his best in the third week of a Grand Tour. So there’s still hope — the Tour isn’t decided yet,” the Dane concludes. “After the first stage of the Dauphiné, when Vingegaard attacked, every Dane thought he was going to win the Tour by ten minutes. And after the time trial, when he beat Pogačar, people couldn’t contain their excitement. But cycling changes fast — especially between these two.”