"Jonas usually wins the bike races he rides" - Michael Rasmussen expecting Vingegaard to send early message at Volta ao Algarve
Cycling
Team Visma | Lease a Bike superstar Jonas Vingegaard gets his 2025 season underway today, with stage one of the Volta ao Algarve. Up against Primoz Roglic in Portugal, and with Tadej Pogacar embarking on his own season opener at the UAE Tour, Danish cycling icon Michael Rasmussen is expecting Vingegaard to try and send an early message.
The quality of the field at the 2025 Volta ao Algarve is a strong one this year, with the aforementioned Vingegaard and Roglic joined by the likes of Joao Almeida and Geraint Thomas among others. According to Rasmussen though, it is his compatriot Vingegaard who stars as the overwhelming pre-race favourite to take the general classification win.
"There is no doubt that Jonas is the favourite for this," Rasmussen previews in conversation with Viaplay. "Jonas usually wins the bike races he rides unless it's the Tour de France. At least that's how it's been for the last two or three seasons. There he's won the smaller stage races he's ridden."
Looking towards the parcours of the race, Rasmussen believes the final stage individual time trial could be perfectly set up for Vingegaard to shine. "Jonas has an advantage on the last stage. It's a time trial that ends with a five-kilometre climb," explains the four-time Tour de France stage winner. "I doubt that there will be any big differences in the mountain stage (2nd stage) down there. But the time trial is at least something that bodes well for him."
Another factor Rasmussen is keen to note, is the strength of the Team Visma | Lease a Bike lineup in the Algarve, with Vingegaard supported by the likes of Wout van Aert, Tiesj Benoot, Sepp Kuss, Loe van Belle and Ben Tullett. "Those are the heavy hitters. All that's missing is Matteo Jorgenson, who could replace one of them, and then they'll be there with the Tour team," Rasmussen concludes. "So it's no joke. They're also the ones who come with the clearly strongest team."
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- Yes, he’s impressive at the moment but lets see how long he keeps it up first so we know this isn’t his peak whilst those he’s expected to go up against are still building up to theirs.Mistermaumau15-03-2025
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