Jonas Vingegaard hits back at criticism from Remco Evenepoel and Tadej Pogacar: "It was not a lack of balls, but just smart racing"
CyclingTuesday, 09 July 2024 at 10:42
The ninth day of the Tour de France put on display the riders' qualities in the off-road sectors, team tactics and strength. Team Visma | Lease a Bike were without a doubt the strongest team and that allowed Jonas Vingegaard to not lose time on his rivals. He responds to criticism from both Remco Evenepoel and Tadej Pogacar who did not like the Danish climber's extremely defensive tactic on the day.
"I feel very good. I feel that I am growing. I am getting better and better. I am at a high level, much higher than I ever expected with only one and a half months of preparation," Vingegaard told Het Nieuwsblad. He finished the first week of the Tour 1:15 minutes behind Tadej Pogacar, he does not name a maximum amount of time that he could've loss over these 9 days of racing: "I can't put a figure on that. Last year I took seven minutes in two days. Now we don't know how I will react in the third week. We'll see day by day. Of course, the closer I am, the better. But I trusted our plan last year. That worked. I trust the plan this year too.”
After an early attack, Remco Evenepoel built a gap over the peloton, and was then caught by Pogacar and Vingegaard from behind. The trio had a big gap over the chasing group but was caught as the Dane refused to work. Evenepoel was very critic of this at the end of the stage: "Tadej and I were certainly not happy about it. I really had the feeling that the final podium of the Tour could already be determined here. Unfortunately we have to accept that, although I think that sometimes you just have to show balls in the race. Unfortunately Jonas didn't have that. Unfortunately it was part of their plan."
Vingegaard responded to two attacks directly on the day, and every time he would then not ride in the front of the group. He explains why he refused to work in the initial attack that could've created a big difference between the Tour's podium and the rest. "If I ride with them for seventy kilometers and then get dropped in the last kilometers - which also happened - then my Tour could be over. So it was not a lack of balls, but just smart racing."
Later on in the day Pogacar attacked in one of the last sectors of the stage getting a gap over the rest, but was closed in as Christophe Laporte and Matteo Jorgenson brought back Vingegaard. Pogacar, Vingegaard and Jorgenson had a gap over the rest including Remco Evenepoel but once again Visma refused to work even with two riders. Pogacar's words were very clear: "I think it was a great opportunity for us to put some time on the rest of the GC favourites and secure the podium, but Jonas refused to cooperate. I think Visma is just focusing on me and underestimating the other GC contenders. They just follow me, without thinking of Primoz Roglic or Remco."
"I certainly do not only see Pogacar as an opponent," Vingegaard responds, although it certainly did not seem to be that way this Sunday afternoon as the team did not try to put time into neither Primoz Roglic or Remco Evenepoel when both had been dropped, on multiple occasions. "The entire top ten is an opponent. Yesterday we did not want to lose time. Maybe other people don't understand our tactics, but that's their problem.”
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Visma is the new Sky...robotic racing measured to the smallest gains. Anyone else find that Sky racing was boring even though they were winning grand tours ? At least Pog and Remco infuse some spirit and panache into the racing these days instead of being 'robots' !
I can’t see how anything about Visma can be boring since last year.
First they went from win to win and now they’re losing is all. Riders are coming and going, team is changing constantly, accidents keep happening and they’re hardly winning anything lately. Far more interesting than Ineos’ dominance and organisation ever was.
Come stage 14 and 15 Visma is going to need to attack Pogi. And the workload is going to fall squarely on Vingegaard as Visma’s team does not have the most impressive climbing strength ( other than Vingo himself obv.)
That’ll be Pogi’s turn to be a wheel-sucker
Remco doesn't have a team that can help him out. So he has to make the gaps himself.
Pogi has a team but there are more leaders than helpers. So he has to make the gaps himself
Jonas has a team. He used them effectively throughout the race especially Pogi's 2nd attack with Laporte and Jorgensen. Ineos did a similar thing
Yeah, it's a team sport, you're supposed to use your team or what is the point of them? Jonas has brought a team that can help him in these stages where he doesn't feel so confident. It's the same reason why UAE has brought almost every GC rider they have to help Pogacar in the mountains.
If it's a team sport why are the main awards meant for individuals?
It might seem that its only an individual award, but when Pog wins, it's also a win for UAE. The whole team celebrates and the winner thanks his teammates.
I am one of the people who do think the team should stand beside the yellow jersey on the podium. No one does it alone. Not Jonas, not Pogacar. The whole team share the prize money equally at least.
No that's not going to work as an argument for me. The title is officially awarded to an individual, whether or not his teammates consider it a win for them as well is irrelevant. They do not lift the trophy together.
Historically, the winner gives all of their monetary winnings to the team and in some cases more, out of their pocket.
So what's your reasoning for the teams that are racing then, rather than racing as individuals? What do you think of other cyclists who pull their teammates? You think they are doing it out of the kindness of their own hearts?
This is literally how teams work and how they are assembled. You've got the leader and then you've got support riders, whether the leader is a GC contender for the yellow, or contending the sprinter or climber jerseys is irrelevant - the team is there to help.
Because they represent the team too. Like the CEO negociates the big deals or picks up the credit when a company works well.
Ok, team is not really the right word sportswise because normally in a sport each player is the best for his task whereas in cycling each rider is the best for being sacrificial for the leader so call it an army if you like, like in chess or a monarchy, but it’ll still only be efficient through teamwork
Astana will reap a whole lot of indirect Cav rewards
C’mon, even in Football the cup is given to a designated player before the team goes of to celebrate it more.
The goalscorer is surrounded by his team, they are not all celebrating on the spot.
In many sports, the trainer is also very much responsible for success as are often doctors and psychologists, should they also join?
There are no obvious reasons why the whole team needs to be on the podium in cycling unless it’s a team relay or TT.
With a designated leader above.
Yes Army might be the correct analogy, Alexander won many battles as a general but without his army he would be nowhere. But the credit of winning the battles goes to him only and not his army. Yet it is still team work.
JV needs to think more for himself...as he appears like a robot...which attracts thoughts of power by other means
Exactly a juiced up, factory made bot!
That's such a lazy excuse. Visma have great tactics with the riders they have, which is why they have won the last two years, and Jonas would be stupid to go against them. He probably 100% agrees with them. And he was totally right not to ride as he points out since he did get dropped on one of the last sectors by Pogacar.
Come on, Jonas, come on. Next time, anyone complains that you have no balls, point your daughter and the baby in your wife's tummy to them and tell them, "These are the products from my balls". You fight them and you show them who has the balls
Grischa Niermann
Or, to avoid getting family and kids involved
something about emptying prematurely?