Jonas Vingegaard turns 28: What are the best moments of his career so far?

Today, Jonas Vingegaard turns 28, marking another milestone in the life of one of cycling’s best ever grand tour riders. The Danish superstar had a challenging but impressive 2024 season, where he once again showed the world that he is Tadej Pogacar’s closest rival.

While his spring campaign started with promise, it was derailed by a horrific crash at the Itzulia Basque Country. The incident left him with a broken collarbone, ribs, and a collapsed lung, casting significant doubt over his ability to defend his Tour de France title in July. However, true to his character, Vingegaard refused to throw in the towel. Despite his less than optimal preparation, he delivered a phenomenal performance in July, finishing second only to Pogacar and even claiming a stage win.

As the Dane celebrates his birthday, let’s look back at some of the greatest moments and stage wins in his career to date.

Vingegaard announced himself as a true contender on Stage 11 of the 2021 Tour de France, delivering a stunning and somewhat shocking performance on Mont Ventoux. The stage marked the first time Tadej Pogacar showed signs of vulnerability, and Vingegaard seized the moment with a brutal attack on the iconic climb. The Danish climber powered away from Pogacar, leaving the Slovenian struggling to keep pace. While Pogacar would go on to win the Tour that year, Vingegaard’s performance sent a clear message: Pogacar wasn’t invincible, and a new challenger had arrived on the scene.

This was more than just a single climb; it was the very first chapter of a rivalry that has defined the last 3 season. Vingegaard’s bold move on Mont Ventoux prove to everyone, including himself, just how good the quiet man could be, and was the first dent in Pogacar’s armour.

A year later, Vingegaard returned to the Tour de France with unfinished business, and on Stage 11, he delivered one of the most memorable moments in recent cycling history. On the punishing slopes of the Col du Granon, Vingegaard finally cracked Pogacar, turning the tables in the rivalry that began on Mont Ventoux.

The stage was a brutal test of both endurance and brilliant strategic racing, with Jumbo-Visma executing their plan to perfection. Pogacar, who had seemed untouchable in his first two Tour victories, could not withstand the relentless pace set and constant attacks by Vingegaard and his team. As Pogacar faltered, Vingegaard surged ahead, claiming his first Grand Tour stage win and taking the yellow jersey.

The little man landed a big punch, and finally confirmed to the world that Pogacar had a true match. Vingegaard would go on to win the Tour that year, and now the hunter turned into the hunted.

The rivalry between Vingegaard and Pogacar continued to be the main narrative of the Tour in 2023, culminating in an unforgettable Stage 16 time trial. Vingegaard delivered one of the most dominant performances in modern cycling, obliterating the competition and effectively sealing his second Tour de France title.

Pogacar himself had a remarkable ride, finishing over a minute ahead of Wout van Aert, one of the world’s best time trialists. Yet Vingegaard’s effort was on another level, beating Pogacar by an astonishing 1:38 minutes. It was a display of supreme bike handling, and incredible fitness, that will be remembered as one of the greatest time trials in Tour history.

This stage wasn’t just about numbers; it was a statement. Vingegaard had elevated himself to a new level, proving he was capable of outclassing even the best on cycling’s biggest stage. The following day, Vingegaard crushed Pogacar entirely on the Col de la Loze, but it was his stage 16 time trial that truly did the damage.

Following his Tour de France victory, Vingegaard carried his form into the Vuelta a Espana, delivering another masterful performance on Stage 13. In a race dominated by Jumbo-Visma, Vingegaard played a key role in the team’s clean sweep of the podium.

On this stage, he powered to victory ahead of his teammates Sepp Kuss and Primoz Roglic, solidifying Jumbo-Visma’s stranglehold on the general classification. The camaraderie and mutual respect within the team were evident, but Vingegaard’s brilliance stood out as he added another prestigious win to his palmarès. And let’s get one thing straight, Vingegaard could most likely have won the Vuelta himself last year, if it weren’t for the team orders to help Kuss seal the red jersey.

After his catastrophic crash in the Basque Country earlier in the year, Vingegaard faced an uphill battle to regain fitness in time for the Tour de France. Many doubted his ability to compete, but on Stage 11, he silenced the critics with a stunning victory.

Despite being up against the dominant Tadej Pogacar, Vingegaard showed not just that he had recovered from his crash, but that he wasn’t going to give up his yellow jersey without a fight. In fact, what made the win even more remarkable was that it was the first time that Vingegaard had beaten Pogacar in a sprint finish, and it was undoubtedly the best moment of his and Team Visma | Lease a Bike’s season.

Vingegaard’s win on stage 11 may not have taken him to his third straight yellow jersey as he would’ve hoped, but it was still incredible to watch the emotion from the Dane, and Team Visma | Lease a Bike, as they celebrated the win.

So there you have it, our picks for the best moments of Jonas Vingegaard’s career so far, but are there any that we have missed out? The Danish rider is unlike many of his rivals, in that outside of the grand tours we don’t hear much from him. What he is up to right now we can’t be sure of, but we are certain he is preparing himself to be in the form of his life to reclaim the Tour de France in 2025, and perhaps he will take on the Giro d’Italia as well.