The last double Grand Tour winner in the space of a season was Chris Froome back in 2017 but recently with the rise of climbers such as Tadej Pogacar and Jonas Vingegaard, the question is back on the table if both decide to commit to more than one in a season.
«I started training two weeks ago – continues Vingegaard – I had a long vacation compared to usual. And when I returned from Japan (Saitama Criterium, ed) I immediately started training," Vingegaard told BiciPro. He's has a long break after winning the Tour de France, and enjoyed another after concluding the season at Il Lombardia. Recently he's began training and preparations for 2023, including a team camp at Jumbo-Visma's headquarters in the Netherlands.
Vingegaard eyes improvements into 2023: "What can I improve on? Definitely the sprint, to start. But there are many aspects to still improve. I don't just want to improve physically, I want to improve in everything. This year I have often been bad, I would like to improve this too. In the materials…".
Although victorious at the Tour, the Dane hasn't shown himself in the cannibal style of riders such as Tadej Pogacar and Primoz Roglic who can at their best level compete for the win in every kind of terrain. It can't be expected of any rider to thrive in the same way, but Vingegaard is definitely aware that there are still flaws in his arsenal that he can improve on.
Such as Primoz Roglic, who has had a lot of difficulties due to crashes he's endured over the years, in 2022 having to abandon both his Grand Tour attempts because of it. "I don't know if he is hungrier to win than last year. I'm hungry in a different way. There is something special. I still want to do well and win races," Vingegaard continued. His position as the Dutch team's leader after the first summit finish was not one he expected to find himself so quickly, but he detailed how he got through the psychological barrier.
“With my history, being nervous would have been easy. I don't get nervous anymore like before. I said to myself: “If I win, I win… otherwise it will be for next year. And I'll try again until I win." In this sense, I have improved since the beginning of 2021, also in managing expectations," Vingegaard explained. "I've never had a problem living up to other people's expectations, but I've always had a hard time living up to my own. I put a lot of pressure on myself. That was my problem."
"When I started cycling, I really liked Contador. I liked his way of racing, of attacking. From him I got the inspiration to not be afraid to attack. To be aggressive, but in a smart way," he continued. Attacks at the Col du Granon and Hautacam saw him take two stage wins after incredibly difficult stages where the riders had to go all-out from the penultimate ascent.
In the future, Vingegaard could eye more than just the Tour however, just as Chris Froome's done in the past. It's difficult to say if it's possible to score a double in a Grand Tour. I think if I had to start I would think more about the Tour and the Vuelta," he believes. "It's not easy, but Giro and Tour is certainly tough. Maybe I could make them in the future. For next year I don't know... maybe I could also do the Vuelta".
He concluded by talking about some of his fears, and how perhaps his most frequent is of training accidents where he isn't to blame. “Of course there are some things that scare me. For example, in training I try to go slower than in racing. I'm careful on the curves, I'm afraid of being rear-ended by a car," he said.
"I try to always be focused on the road. I always look ahead. Obviously these things can happen, but I'm always much more cautious during training." Vingegaard concluded.
Rúben SilvaEditor-in-Chief
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.
Beyond editorial work, he has been closely involved in the expansion and coordination of CyclingUpToDate’s wider network, helping establish and support sister platforms across multiple languages. This includes ongoing collaboration with CiclismoAlDia (Spanish), CiclismoAtual (Portuguese), WielrennenUpToDate (Dutch), and RadsportAktuell (German), contributing to a shared editorial vision and consistent international coverage.
He also helps oversee editorial governance across the network, setting standards for accuracy and consistency and coordinating updates or corrections when needed.
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)...
Within 18 months of launch, he helped grow CyclingUpToDate’s English-language platform into one of the most-read cycling news websites, built entirely from the ground up. As both a professional journalist and lifelong cycling enthusiast, his focus remains on delivering accurate, timely, and well-contextualized coverage.
claps 0visitors 0
Just in
Popular news
Latest comments
- I hope 2027 is his year.mij03-11-2026
- why does he have to? many GT riders from Froome to Contador to Indurain didn't do them.mij03-11-2026
- I think Jonas would have lost the TDF by 4+ minutes (at the least) and might not have even been in the top 3. Too much talent in the younger riders to say anyone not named Pogačar would have been top 3md197503-11-2026
- this is just stupid. you already have 23%, gravel is over the topabstractengineer03-11-2026
- There was once a time when Lance was supremely popular and he used his artificial "It's Not About the Bike: My Journey Back to Life" persona to lead his mob in going after Greg. There was no one Lance did not abuse in protecting his phony hero image. Lance promoted himself as a divine megastar and he let down millions of cancer victims and gullible devotees who clung far too long to the charade. Lance is the epitome of a corrupt person and because of his power, many around him, including business enterprises, succumbed to the evil. All who got in Armstrong's way were mercilessly attacked by him and his minions. This remarkably continues today with a new generation. LeMond was a number one enemy and paid a huge price. Who do you think slandered who?Yepperoni03-11-2026
- You despise him because he calls out the truth....OK clown !frieders303-11-2026
- JV is really slighting himself with not doing the 1 dayers.. 🤷
leedorney02-11-2026 - Watch the interview on youtube. I don't speak French. I do speak English and Spanish and you can hear it in his voice. Years ago LeMond had real personal problems I imagine in no small part because of Armstrong. then Armstrong goes round "full blast" re: LeMond having drinking and drug problems. The same way Andreu was expelled from mainstream cycling so was LeMond. On the positive side the clips of the ride and chatting with old teammates and was good. To seemed like a fun day and experience and good reason brush up his French.atom02-11-2026
- and another no-news article around the ‚2 tokyo jogging rounds‘ headline, this time spiced with some days old ‚news‘ that the LA and japan vacation trips come during or after the tdf route release. i am getting more and more annoyed by this time-stealing no-news crap. but who am i to complain? nobody forces me to come back for more ‚news‘ day after day …Ketterechts02-11-2026
- It would likely be a very steep section of 4.1 km, not changing the average gradient considerably, with the climb remaining 10.1 km at 11.8%. It would reach 20% on the gravel. It would start 1.6 km in, and finish with 4.2 km left to climb (before the short final descent)
Rafionain-Glas02-11-2026
Loading
Write a comment