What improvements could Jonas Vingegaard make in order to challenge Tadej Pogacar at the 2025 Tour de France? #TDF2025
"Keep on praying because it's not going to change" - Bob Roll & Christian Vande Velde analyse Jonas Vingegaard's chances of beating Tadej Pogacar at 2025 Tour de France
CyclingThursday, 07 November 2024 at 17:00
The route and profiles of the 2025 Tour de France are here and we look set for another thrilling spectacle at next summer's edition of the Grand Tour. Can Tadej Pogacar go back to back? Will Jonas Vingegaard reclaim the Maillot Jaune? Or can Remco Evenepoel or another dark horse emerge from the chasing pack?
"The favourites should be the same as they were this year. Primoz Roglic, Remco Evenepoel, Jonas Vingegaard and Tadej Pogacar," begins experienced US cycling expert Bob Roll in his analysis via NBC Sports Cycling's Beyond the Podium podcast. "Tadej's season went from fantastic, to unbelievable, to the greatest season ever and that's including Fausto Coppi, Eddy Merckx, Bernard Hinault. It was just an astounding season. His ability was on such a different level, even in the Tour de France."
As such, Pogacar is likely to start the 2025 edition with the mental advantage. "What's going to be going through the mind of the big favourites in the off-season, especially Jonas Vingegaard? What do you think he's thinking about after seeing what Tadej did in 2024? What kind of improvements can he (Vingegaard ed.) realistically make between now and next year's Tour de France?" Roll asks co-host and former 4th on GC finisher at the French Grand Tour, Christian Vande Velde.
"If I was Jonas and I was in Visma, I think I'd just worry about myself and just do the best you possibly can to get the best numbers, be surrounded by the best riders and that's it," the American answers. "Because at this point in time, if you're just fretting and trying to beat Tadej by doing the things he's doing, you're always going to be behind."
Vingegaard & Pogacar have had an all-time great Tour de France rivalry over the last four years
"We've seen this for decades now. People try to emulate what the best teams in the world are doing and you'll never catch them, because you're always going to be 18 months / 24 months behind whatever they're doing," Vande Velde continues. "I have to say though, for Jonas this year, what we all saw was nothing short of remarkable. What he came back from and to able to due the numbers that he did in the Tour de France, it was incredible. So his mental perseverance is the best I've ever seen."
In trying to take on Pogacar though, Vingegaard has a very unenviable task. "You can't say enough about the guy! His thirst for wins is endless and I don't think this year is going to be any different," Vande Velde analyses. "He's just going to go hambone from the beginning to the end again, and you know it's coming. You can pray for something different but you'll keep on praying because it's not going to change."
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- Oh look. CUD leans into another doper for commentary. Hey guys - there are other people to talk to... You know... people who didn't leave the sport in a cloud of shame...critguy07-11-2024
- Its results will mainly depend on him, though.Acapulco07-11-2024
- He needs a team fully commited where he is the lone capable of winning. In RBB there is several men who can, he would have been in competition.Acapulco07-11-2024
- agreed. and in spite of his doping, his TDF win was validated by the UCI with the mere addition of an asterisk.OCexile07-11-2024
- He was always a great tactician. But he pushed doping on his riders from back in the CSC days big time. I read Tyler's book, it was dark...awp07-11-2024
- wow, this is a shock. this guy is a major talent on the MTB, and he just won the WC. I'm surprised he doesn't want to spend a year enjoying the rainbow jersey.mij07-11-2024
- This is true. But also, for some reason the amount of Athletes who are getting asthma related to sports is on a steady climb. Not in just cycling but around the world in seemingly every single sport. I don’t have any explanation for this. Could it be the changes in weather conditions and such compared to 20yrs ago? Or is something going on in relation to doping? I have not read enough on this to have a solid understanding or opinionmd197507-11-2024
- "Armstrong won his 7 wins. Fair and square. Doping was rampant during his time. He did was just to level the playing field" comment from KHWong. He cheated, he enticed/forced teammates to cheat, he affected other's families and tainted other's reputations, he sued those who factually accused him of cheating in their attempt to prove breach of contract, he got paid to admit to his lies. Nice guy; right? Anyone who has not been prosecuted for cheating per THEIR OWN SPORT'S RULES THAT THEY AGREE TO ABIDE BY and continues to deny in public or to themselves, and rationalizes the reasons for doing so is weak of mind and body, has no integrity or ethics and ahould find another job or form their own cycling federation where anything goes. The fans will not care if you screw up your bodies for their entertainment. Just take look at boxing and American football. Even worse when fans of the sport themselves make those rationalizations for the cheaters. There has been cheating of all types throughout the history of many sports; nearly 150 years in cycling itself since competitions started, and the gambling and revenue that came along with them. Cheat if you want, but lack any personal integrity. If that is what you to be, or want to emulate fine; but no one should expect or receive pity for a premeditated decision to cheat in any manner. You are deceiving yourself if competing, and also deceiving the fans. Cycling will soon be like "professional wrestling": choreographed and with the winner being known in advance. Oh wait; that is what already has happened this year. It has been found that many of cycling's "greats" (i.e. Coppi, Merckx, et al.) were cheating and possibly caused (did cause) one or more premature deaths in cycling. Go ahead and enjoy a sport that you cannot trust; I will not.BraneDed07-11-2024
- Remco's public pronouncements are careful and deliberate. He is laying the groundwork for an exit a year from now if his 2025 results don't match his ambition.Renz07-11-2024