Jonas Vingegaard opens up on Tadej Pogacar rivalry: "I see him win these races and I'm fascinated by who he is as a cyclist"

Jonas Vingegaard vs Tadej Pogacar has been the defining Grand Tour rivalry of the 2020s. In 2025, it is expected that chapter 5 of their epic Tour de France tug of war will take place and after Pogacar reclaimed the Maillot Jaune last time out, Vingegaard admits improvement is needed to close the gap.

At the 2024 Tour de France, Vingegaard was soundly bettered by his arch-rival. Other than one incredibly comeback to stage a stage victory on stage 11, the Team Visma | Lease a Bike leader simply didn't have the answers to the questions posed by Pogacar. That's not to say the Dane wasn't performing at an incredibly high level himself though. "This year was better for me than it's ever been. It's probably been better for him too," Vingegaard explains in quotes collected by Ekstra Bladet. "I can also look at my performance, compared to what I could do in the past, this has been much better on the Plateau de Beille. I remember that the first year I won the Tour (2022, ed.) is almost nothing compared to the wattage we rode this year."

A big reason for this, is the massive step of improvement seemingly taken by Pogacar in 2025, as he rode to a record breaking season of individual brilliance. "I could see what watts I was doing and he was riding away from me, so it's deserved," Vingegaard assesses. "To beat him, I need to go up a level again next year, and I think I can do that."

In fact, the success of Pogacar, is actually proving a big motivational factor for Vingegaard's winter preparation. "I see him win these races and I'm fascinated by who he is as a cyclist," the Dane comments. "I think he's a fantastic cyclist, but it's clear that in everyday life I focus on myself. Here I make myself as good as possible for the races I have to do. I have to hope that it's enough to beat him."