Jonas Vingegaard "won last year by accident" at Tour de France - José de Cauwer

The 2022 Tour de France will be one that will live long in the memory of cycling fans. It was the first balanced and colossal battle between Jonas Vingegaard and Tadej Pogacar, one that is set to headline this year's edition once again.

"We're not going to say that Jonas Vingegaard is a better rider, are we? Just because the latter won last year by accident? Come on! Not in 1,000 years," José de Cauwer said in Sporza's De Tribune. "Pogacar did win the Tour of Flanders against Van der Poel and Van Aert. He is by far the best rider in the world. Of course, Vingegaard is a very good and very tough tour rider. You can never get rid of him."

The two were very balanced in the mountains last year, that is, after Tadej Pogacar's implosion at the Col du Granon, which ended up deciding the race. The coming mountain stages saw plenty attacks from the Slovenian, who ultimately could not distance Jonas Vingegaard ever again on that edition.

This year Pogacar has had the upper hand by far at Paris-Nice where the two faced off, but ever since they've remained distant. Vingegaard may have the advantage coming into the race following a dominant Criterium du Dauphiné, whilst Pogacar was out training as he only returned to the road in late May after suffering wrist fractures at Liège-Bastogne-Liège.

Renaat Schotte has argued that perhaps Pogacar's injuries at Liège-Bastogne-Liège may have even led him towards a more favourable preparation ahead of the Tour de France. "I think that wrist will no longer play a role. When you see how he digested the national championships. That fall can only have worked in his favor," he argues.

"I would even dare to call it a godsend," Christophe Vandegoor said, agreeing with that opinion. "Last year Pogacar lost the Tour because he was not so fresh in the third week. That will no longer be an excuse."