“It’s hard for me to say whether Tadej Pogacar has actually improved” – Jonas Vingegaard unmoved by rival’s Sanremo brilliance as next chapter of Tour rivalry looms

Tadej Pogacar’s start to 2026 has been highlighted by a long-awaited breakthrough at Milano-Sanremo, finally winning a Monument that had previously resisted him. The Slovenian also opened his campaign with victory at Strade Bianche, a race he has made his own in recent seasons. Asked to assess his rival’s level, Jonas Vingegaard offered a measured response.

“He looks a bit better. It’s hard for me to say whether he’s actually improved. You’d have to ask him that. I don’t know his numbers, so I can’t say,” Vingegaard said in conversation with TV 2.

Pogacar’s Sanremo win carried added significance given the nature of the race. After repeated attempts to force a selection on the Cipressa and Poggio in previous years, he finally made the decisive move stick and still had the sprint to finish the job against Tom Pidcock.

Across the past five seasons, Pogacar and Vingegaard have established themselves as the two dominant figures at the Tour de France. Victories have been shared across that period, with Vingegaard taking control in 2022 and 2023 before Pogacar returned to win the following editions.

The margins between them have consistently been shaped in the mountains and in time trials, with both riders building their seasons around reaching peak condition for July.

While Pogacar has continued to expand his range, adding major one-day victories to his season, Vingegaard’s approach remains more contained. His focus is not on matching his rival across the calendar, but on building towards the races that matter most to him.

“I focus on myself. I don’t think about whether he’s there or not. I choose the races I want to ride, and I go there to win.”

That distinction has become one of the defining features of their rivalry. Pogacar’s programme stretches across the calendar, from Strade Bianche to Milano-Sanremo and towards targets such as Paris-Roubaix, while Vingegaard’s season is structured around stage racing and peaking for July.

The difference is not just in race selection, but in how each rider approaches the sport. Pogacar’s victories often come through repeated attacks and the ability to shape races across different terrains. Vingegaard, by contrast, builds his advantage over time, through consistency and control in the mountains and time trials.

Even within that contrast, Vingegaard acknowledges the effect Pogacar has had on his own level. Competing against a rider capable of winning across so many different races has raised the standard required to win.

“Of course you have to work harder when you have a rival like Pogacar, someone who forces you to step up in order to win races. We try to get better every day, and for me it’s a big compliment if people compare us to those guys.”

Those comparisons, to rivalries such as Messi against Ronaldo or Ali against Frazier, reflect the consistency with which the two have met at the very top of the sport. Their battles have not been defined by a single season, but by a sustained period in which both have repeatedly set the benchmark.

The next chapter comes at the Tour de France. Pogacar arrives after finally solving Milano-Sanremo. Vingegaard, for now, remains unmoved.