"Maybe it’s wiser to go to the Giro - will he ever win the Tour again?": Jonas Vingegaard reported Corsa Rosa debut warmly welcomed by Jose De Cauwer
Cycling
Jonas Vingegaard’s reported interest in riding the Giro d'Italia in 2026 has sparked plenty of early-winter debate, but one man who sees the upside immediately is Belgian analyst Jose De Cauwer.
Speaking on the podcast De Grote Plaat, he made clear that the two-time Tour de France-winning Dane has every reason to embrace a change of scenery if he decides to line up at the first Grand Tour of the season.
De Cauwer did not hold back in explaining why the choice makes sense. “Maybe it’s wiser to go to the Giro, because will he ever win the Tour again? Then you have to make choices,” he said.
With the debate framed as both a tactical reset and an opportunity for Vingegaard to broaden what he could achieve across his career, the question is whether the Team Visma | Lease a Bike leader is really better off ending his typical programme where everything is built around the Maillot Jaune.
A fresh Grand Tour target — and a shifting hierarchy
Across the men’s peloton, the idea of top GC riders compiling a “career list” of objectives has become more common, and De Cauwer sees Vingegaard in exactly that phase. His remark that “Imagine it, he wins the Vuelta, Tour and the Giro... that would be incredible” highlights how the Dane could deepen his legacy by breaking away from a Tour-first routine.
The move would also place him on the same trajectory being considered by Remco Evenepoel, who has openly entertained a return to the Italian race. But De Cauwer made clear that overlap between the two could become a strategic problem. “If one knows the other is there, they might think: oei, then my chances get a bit smaller,” he said. “In the story of Remco: then maybe full on the Tour.”
Against the rising dominance of Tadej Pogacar, both men are weighing up where their best opportunities really lie. And De Cauwer’s assessment of the modern Tour de France was blunt: the race is becoming too selective, too extreme, and too heavily tilted towards the lightest climbers. “Fifty-four thousand metres of climbing in the Tour de France: that is just too much,” he argued. “They keep making the races harder and harder.”
He even suggested the field itself has become skewed by the sheer difficulty. “The top 10 of the Tour is 1 metre 80 and weighs 65 kilos...” he said, pointing out that entire nations risk being excluded by physiology alone. In his view, it is time for the UCI to establish clearer limits on how Grand Tour routes are designed.
Kieran WoodDeputy Editor-in-Chief
Kieran Wood is a sports journalist based in Wales and has been active in journalism since 2022. He regularly contributes to DartsNews.com and CyclingUpToDate.com, where he covers professional cycling and darts. In cycling, his work includes liveblogs from major races, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España, alongside race reports and analysis. He has also conducted interviews with professional riders.
His reporting spans the full racing calendar, from one-day classics to stage races, with a focus on accurate, real-time coverage and clear contextual analysis. For statistics, results, and historical context, he regularly uses resources such as ProCyclingStats. To support reporting on rider activity and training context where relevant, he also references Strava.
In his work, Kieran places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles as new, verified information becomes available.
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- 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 - Welcome to the off-season.
santiagobenites02-11-2026 - guillaume martin in this list is quite a surprise as a gc rider.Ketterechts02-11-2026
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