"It's necessary to have him there every year" - Tadej Pogacar on Tour de France rivalry with Jonas Vingegaard
Cycling
Tadej Pogacar and Jonas Vingegaard are the Grand Tour rivals of a generation and a decade. From 2021 to 2025, they have finished first and second on every single Tour de France, and the presence of one another raises the level of both. Vingegaard had admitted it, and the Slovenian believes the same.
"I always say that every cyclist or any other sport: everyone wants to face the best possible opponents. I want to see all the competitors at their best in the Tour de France or any other race," Pogacar said in an interview with Marca. And this of course, refers to Jonas Vingegaard, whom he's faced yearly for five seasons now at the Grand Boucle.
"If some miss the race or have bad luck, it's not the same atmosphere and it doesn't feel the same. Also, we motivate each other every year. In the last four years, Jonas has pushed me to another level in the Tour. It's necessary to have him there every year."
If Pogacar is not there, perhaps Pogacar will have a Grand Tour similar to the 2024 Giro d'Italia, without real competition but without real motivation or need to improve either. At some point in his career other riders will begin to reach his level and surpass him in the mountains, but the closeness of the Dane to him pressures him to keep raising the bar every year.
Pressure, fame and networks
However Pogacar's success is undeniable, and generational. His results in the UCI standings are a good showcase of what he has been able to achieve this year alone. This has seen him grow to a level in fame that surpasses this sport, and turned him into a celebrity even in the microstate of Monaco which is crowded with famous personalities.
In the streets he is often approached, and shares more details about it: "The most difficult thing is to always be available to the media. Nowadays, in the modern era, you always have to be right on social networks, interact with many such things. But at the same time it's a good experience and it brings you a lot to life. The funniest thing is that completely unknown people stop you on the street, in a cafe, in a restaurant... Without thinking about it, they come and ask you for photos. Sometimes it's very funny."
However, he recognizes the importance of not being pressured from the audience or the outside opinion, and remain focused on what is good for him and UAE Team Emirates - XRG:
"I try to limit a lot of things that other people say or speculate about me. I have my own goals, I want to build my own path and finish my career happy, with no regrets. I try to enjoy the moment, find new challenges and not think about critics or what comes from outside. Sometimes it's hard, but you have to focus on yourself and do your own thing."
New generation
Pogacar turned pro in 2019 and immediately had a stellar season, culminated with a Grand Tour debut and podium at the Vuelta a España. At the time he was considered one of the very best talents, but every year new ones surge. Currently, even within his team, and others who aim to rival him in the coming years.
"Today everyone is obsessed with young talent. Nobody stops looking for talent, especially in the Tour. That's why we see so many guys already coming in with very good level: strong legs, a strong mind, very professional".
"The young guys now, like Paul Seixas or Isaac Del Toro, are impressive," he exemplifies. "I want to see how their career develops. Maybe it will be completely different from what I have experienced. I can't wait to follow their careers."
Rúben SilvaEditor-in-Chief
A founding contributor to CyclingUpToDate since its launch in January 2022, Ruben Silva has played a central role in shaping the site’s editorial direction and long-term growth. Before joining the project, he built his experience through independent blogging at Echelons Hub and by producing race previews for Ciclismo Internacional, developing a strong analytical voice rooted in daily engagement with professional cycling.
Beyond editorial work, he has been closely involved in the expansion and coordination of CyclingUpToDate’s wider network, helping establish and support sister platforms across multiple languages. This includes ongoing collaboration with CiclismoAlDia (Spanish), CiclismoAtual (Portuguese), WielrennenUpToDate (Dutch), and RadsportAktuell (German), contributing to a shared editorial vision and consistent international coverage.
He also helps oversee editorial governance across the network, setting standards for accuracy and consistency and coordinating updates or corrections when needed.
Originally from the Porto metropolitan area in Portugal, he holds a bachelor’s degree in Geography. His path into cycling journalism was shaped not through formal media training, but through independent reporting, community engagement, and sustained on-the-ground involvement in the sport.
Over the course of his career, he has conducted approximately 100 interviews across road cycling and cyclocross, ranging from one-to-one conversations and online formats to press conferences and on-site pre- and post-race coverage. His interviews include leading riders, team managers, and prominent figures within cycling media: Tadej Pogacar, Jonas Vingegaard, Mathieu van der Poel, Primoz Roglic, Wout van Aert, Joao Almeida and Tom Pidcock; managers like Patrick Lefevere and Joxean Matxin; and YouTube personality Bryan Kennedy (BKXC)...
Within 18 months of launch, he helped grow CyclingUpToDate’s English-language platform into one of the most-read cycling news websites, built entirely from the ground up. As both a professional journalist and lifelong cycling enthusiast, his focus remains on delivering accurate, timely, and well-contextualized coverage.
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- JV is really slighting himself with not doing the 1 dayers.. 🤷
leedorney02-11-2026 - Watch the interview on youtube. I don't speak French. I do speak English and Spanish and you can hear it in his voice. Years ago LeMond had real personal problems I imagine in no small part because of Armstrong. then Armstrong goes round "full blast" re: LeMond having drinking and drug problems. The same way Andreu was expelled from mainstream cycling so was LeMond. On the positive side the clips of the ride and chatting with old teammates and was good. To seemed like a fun day and experience and good reason brush up his French.atom02-11-2026
- and another no-news article around the ‚2 tokyo jogging rounds‘ headline, this time spiced with some days old ‚news‘ that the LA and japan vacation trips come during or after the tdf route release. i am getting more and more annoyed by this time-stealing no-news crap. but who am i to complain? nobody forces me to come back for more ‚news‘ day after day …Ketterechts02-11-2026
- It would likely be a very steep section of 4.1 km, not changing the average gradient considerably, with the climb remaining 10.1 km at 11.8%. It would reach 20% on the gravel. It would start 1.6 km in, and finish with 4.2 km left to climb (before the short final descent)
Rafionain-Glas02-11-2026 - Welcome to the off-season.
santiagobenites02-11-2026 - guillaume martin in this list is quite a surprise as a gc rider.Ketterechts02-11-2026
- Who cares what Bruyneel thinks. He and his best mate Lance, the biggest fraud in the history of sport, have no place commenting on anything but how to lie and cheat!whit2pet02-11-2026
- Eeesh!Lozza02-11-2026
- bravo! a rider likes jonas needs motivation and he needs to believe in being able to reach goals. he - like anybody else in the world - doesn't believe that he can win the tdf with pogi present. and what's it worth for when pogi is not there? second class victory only. he has checked all three grand tours, so what is left if not retire? the classics! go for it, jonas!Ketterechts02-11-2026
- i am sure that under the pretext of medical examination a lot worse has happened when they were under.abstractengineer02-11-2026
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