Jonas Vingegaard falls into criticism from Michel Wuyts: "Why does Vingegaard not do anything for Van Aert?"
Cycling
The opening stage of the Tour de France saw a battle for the overall classification right away as Adam Yates soared to a strong win and took over the yellow jersey. Jumbo-Visma was put on the back foot, however Michel Wuyts has launched criticism over Jonas Vingegaard not sacrificing himself for Wout van Aert.
“This is definitely a missed opportunity for Van Aert. I saw four Jumbo-Visma riders in the chasing group and mainly saw Wilco Kelderman working. I also saw a passive Vingegaard”, Michel Wuyts said in a commentary for Het Laatste Nieuws. “Vingegaard didn't want to take over from Tadej Pogačar at the top of the last climb and didn't take over on the descent either. Okay, he's the Tour winner and then you can say: he doesn't have to. But it doesn't hurt, you won't get tired of it. I can imagine that Van Aert is a very disappointed man.”
The climb to the Côte de Pike saw Vingegaard respond to the attack of Tadej Pogacar, who he covered throughout the difficult opening day. That allowed Yates to take time and the upper hand, whilst Jumbo-Visma had Sepp Kuss and Wilco Kelderman lead the chasing group to close the gap for both GC and stage ambitions. Wout van Aert was in the group and was a favourite for the sprint, but the group was unable to make the catch - with Tadej Pogacar winning the sprint and taking four seconds in bonifications.
“The fact that Van Aert is no longer making efforts to take away a place of honor in the sprint says a lot. I think the disappointment was too great. It's a recurring story. Van Aert likes to be of service and is a team player. The leader is apparently much less so. I used to see men like Jan Ullrich and Bradley Wiggins ride in service. Why does Vingegaard not do anything for Van Aert? I do not understand. He has disappointed me a little bit," Wuyts says.
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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.
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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)...
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- many people advise him to grow slowly and rather do giro and/or vuelta instead of tdf. but i can totally understand that he is not satisfied with taking over once pogi declines, but instead beat him in his prime. so if he goes for tdf again, i‘m all for it. let‘s hope that pogi recovers soon!Ketterechts07-11-2026
- So gracious to offer something no-one would be prepared to pay for. The Giro is not the Tour and doesn’t command the same interest or attract the same “elite” (those willing to pay to be a part of something they consider has ego boosting potential). Roadside viewing will always largely remain free for everyone outside circuits. Introduction of a symbolic entrance to mountain climbs is worthy of exploration. Asking 1-2€ isn’t going to repulse real fans (most will spend 50-100€ on their outing that day all things included) but will prevent a portion of the total knobhead thrillseekers who will join in any large gathering as long as it’s free, just because they’re attracted to crowds, without which it it difficult for them to work up their anti-social behaviour.Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- How is radio going to help when someone went over a cliff or bridge or off the roadside into a forest unnoticed and is laying there unconscious?Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- Yep, next we’ll be accusing F1 drivers of avoiding Le Mans.Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- But on what is that opinion based? Are you holding him to a different standard than others? Are you saying he should do learn to like something he doesn’t Are you saying he hasn’t achieved enough Are you saying he pretends to be better than his results? It’s actually a really strange opinion to oust if you consider it objectively or rationally. Try applying it to others or yourself by asking if not EVERYONE should then be doing more? Nobody in athletics or swimming gets criticism for not expanding their repertoire when a rival or someone else does. In fact, most who move to another event get accused of running from their rival. Opinions are boring, the reasons behind them are what count.Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- for a medical chief to throw things like is just bad. There are already radios which were banned for spectacle. allow radios. Gps trackers are not a complete solutionabstractengineer07-11-2026
- Yeah man...PogiSloFans07-11-2026
- any rider less than 25 whether they are really ready for the position of leadership of GT is probably not the case. I think Pogi himself suffered when he was defeated by Jonas in the TDF twice. But that would be the team's job to ensure support so that they can bounce back. It requires a team and time to get back up and win after getting knocked down.abstractengineer07-11-2026
- I'm very glad he got the big late Quickstep Vuelta win and I hope he has a few left for Euskaltel-Euskadi.flyer07-11-2026
- My memories of Ivan Basso aren't good but I liked his sister Elisa ok.flyer07-11-2026
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