Jonas Vingegaard: "In ten years, people will remember this Tour as one of the greatest"

A true battle for the ages, Tadej Pogacar and Jonas Vingegaard have served up one of the most drama-filled, must-watch battles for the Maillot Jaune ever seen during the 2023 edition of the Tour de France. Vingegaard himself has now expressed his belief that this rivalry is one that will long in the memory.

Speaking with Sporza's Sammy Neyrinck in a sit down interview, Vingegaard was open and honest about the duel he has had over the last three editions of the Tour de France and the mutual respect the pair have gained for each other. "In ten years, people will remember this Tour as one of the greatest duels between Pogacar and myself," says the Jumbo-Visma leader. "So the way it will be remembered, just like the ride to the Col du Granon last year."

Prior to the stage 16 time-trial, there had been barely anything to separate the pair, with just 10 seconds all that was the difference. A truly monumental ride from Vingegaard however, has seen the Dane place one hand on victory. Pogacar now trails Vingegaard by 1:48 heading into the Queen Stage of this year's race on stage 17.

"I prefer to race offensively, but to win the Tour you also have to be able to ride defensively," explains Vingegaard. "Of course I would be disappointed if I didn't win, but I'm not afraid to lose. If someone else is stronger then so be it. My wife taught me that the world doesn't stop spinning if I lose. Do I sometimes doubt myself? After a tough stage you sometimes ask yourself if you had good legs. But when you start cycling fast, you forget that."

"The sixteen-year-old I would never have thought about winning the Tour. At that age you don't know which path you will follow," continues the Maillot Jaune. "We were close to the stage victory almost every stage, so it is a very big relief. We worked very hard for this. But I expect Tadej to attack us every day. Only in Paris will we know where this ends."