"It really was the right choice this way" - Visma DS reponds to Dumoulin's criticism of Vingegaard's equipment choice on Tourmalet
Cycling
Stage 6 has so far been the decisive point of the 2026 Tour de France with Tadej Pogacar dealing a massive blow to his rivals. That includes Jonas Vingegaard who lost over two and a half minute.
Former Giro d'Italia winner Tom Dumoulin had noticed that most of Vingegaard's loss actually came after the Col du Tourmalet, rather than on the ascent itself. The Dutchman did not go far in his search for a reason of this outcome, pinpointing blame on the unwise equipment choice of Vingegaard's team Visma | Lease a Bike.
"What stood out most on the Tourmalet, where we briefly got a good look at it, was his equipment choice. He was riding up the Tourmalet on his big ring. You think, wow, on the big ring? But the point is that he only has one chainring," the ex-professional outlined on De Avondetappe, before switching to a more critical voice:
"Jonas has specifically chosen a single chainring at the front. That automatically means you only have eleven or twelve gears at the back to work with. So you have to manage that on the steepest climbs, but also in the fastest descents where you want to push a much bigger gear. And what is he doing all this for? To save a tiny bit of weight compared to a double chainring. We might be talking about 40 or 50 grams. That’s hardly anything."
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No mistake has been made
Of course, Dumoulin's voice of criticism did not go unnoticed by Visma's management, including the on-site sports director Marc Reef. His comments highlight that this setup was a deliberate choice which they do not regret.
"It is something Jonas has already ridden with on multiple climbs and multiple stages," responds Reef to the criticism of the single chainring. "That is certainly not what makes the difference. […] We believe in it. Weight is saved, but it is mainly about what the rider can handle and in terms of cadence. Jonas has experience with this and has been riding with it for years; that is something we will not change in stages like this."
Tadej Pogacar wins on Stage 6 of the 2026 Tour de France
Tadej Pogacar has been flying down the Tourmalet descent in speeds surpassing 100 kilometers per hour, did Vingegaard perhaps lack a little bit in the top speed regard due to his gear options? Reef does not think so: "Certainly not. It really was the right choice this way."
Looking for positives
In addition to Vingegaard's defeat, Visma must've been disappointed by the performance of Matteo Jorgenson who stepped out of the GC group very early, even before yellow jersey Torstein Traeen. So what are the positive takeaways from the sixth stage?
"Mainly how good Jonas is at the moment, physically speaking. And how we assess it compared to Pogacar; that it is very close."
"Naturally, Jonas was disappointed yesterday. Losing 2 minutes and 40 seconds is not what we had in mind. It was quite close on the climbs, and that is something we are holding on to."
The general classification situation is hardly favorable at the moment, but Visma don't hang their heads low. With still more than two weeks to work with, they stick to their pre-race plan.
"We have a plan; that is what we went into the Tour with," Reef affirms. "We didn't foresee this loss of time, but that doesn't mean we have to do anything differently. We will fight for every morning for the next two weeks."
Ondrej ZhasilCycling Journalist
Ondřej Zhasil is a cycling journalist at CyclingUpToDate and has been part of the team since 2023. He is based in Ostrava, the third-largest city in the Czech Republic, and covers professional cycling across the main UCI competitions, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España. A key focus of his work is startlist analysis and pre-race coverage, where he examines team selections, rider line-ups, and tactical scenarios ahead of major events.
Alongside WorldTour coverage, Ondřej has developed specific expertise in junior cycling and in racing across East Asia, including competitions in China and Japan. He also maintains a broad working knowledge of other disciplines and levels, including cyclocross, while continuing to expand his understanding of mountain bike racing.
Ondřej holds a bachelor’s degree in Mathematics and Physics, which supports his analytical, data-driven approach to performance and race analysis. In his reporting, he regularly uses ProCyclingStats for results, statistics, and historical context. He places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles promptly when new, verified information becomes available.
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