"Jonas is a great champion" - Jumbo-Visma capitalize on incredibly effective strategy

Down to six riders, but Jumbo-Visma have today put on a performance that has surprised even the most die-hard fans of the sport. With Jonas VIngegaard having taken an impressive stage win, much can be owed to his teammates who kept him protected and made the decisive gaps in the final climb.

In conversations with NOS, Jumbo-Visma DS Girscha Niermann expressed his happiness with how the final mountain stage had been raced: “The plan has worked well today. This is what we wanted and we succeeded. We've been working on the tactical plan all day. It's emotional".

With Tiesj Benoot and Wout van Aert in the breakaway, the team had two weapons which were used to their very best purpose on the final climb, as Vingegaard had aswell the support of Sepp Kuss who rode a very strong final week of the race. After Tadej Pogacar's multiple devastating attacks Vingegaard was isolated for a while, however later had the company of his teammates. In the final climb, van Aert launched an acceleration that dropped Pogacar, setting team leader Jonas Vingegaard for the stage win and GC success.

“All the guys did a great job today. We wanted to beat Pogačar on the last climb. That was the big goal and it worked. Jonas is a great champion," he added.

He commented aswell on the constant comments that the team would be making a mistake to work for both green and yellow jersey, but have made it to stage 18 with green confirmed and yellow secure, as long as crashes don't interfere with the race in the coming days. Vingegaard also took the KOM jersey with his stage win.

"We have been told a lot that yellow and green cannot be combined, but with Wout it is possible. Great class, he's a great rider. We had the plan to put pressure on Pogačar. We were confident that Jonas would do it. We are not having a party yet, that is before Sunday," Niermann concluded.