"People may have underestimated me a little bit" - Jonas Vingegaard's unspoken card for Tour de France success
Cycling
The Tour de France is where Jonas Vingegaard has had the big breakthrough in his career in 2021, and in 2022 he's had a rise of similar level as he captured the yellow jersey on a very complicated race where defending champion Tadej Pogacar was constantly on the attack.
“I actually always think people may have underestimated me a little bit," Vingegaard said in an interview with DR.dk, talking about this year's Grand Boucle. "This was also the case for the Tour de France this year. Especially in the media, I would say, and I have no problem with that. And I don’t think I have any problem the other way either."
Entering the race alongside Primoz Roglic, the Dutch team had two weapons. Although many already had suspicions that the Dane would lead, that became apparent already in the first summit finish to La Planche des Belles Filles, and in no situation did Pogacar get caught off guard by Vingegaard. Nevertheless, the team depth was crucial in dealing a decisive blow on stage 11.
Asked if he would like to go back to the Tour, where he's thrived over the last two seasons, he responds: “I would like to, but whether it will be next year or the year after, we will have to see. I have to talk to the team about it, and then we have to find a solution together.”
“It’s been absolutely fantastic, but also really overwhelming. When I think of the Tour de France, I think that it is the best riders in the world who win it. And then I think it just feels strange that it’s suddenly me who’s won it," he commented. Next year's plans are still undecided, but it is expected that he will try to defend his title.
“I would say that I am among the best in the world, but I would not say that I am generally the best, no. If you look at it overall, I have only performed in stage races. I haven’t really managed to perform in a one-day race yet." After the Tour he travelled back home and only returned to competition late in the year, but has his main priorities set in 2023 for a long time already.
“I haven’t avoided the media as such, but I haven’t sought it out either. I’ve just been relaxing and enjoying life and being at home," he explained. "I still think winning the Tour is so big that it is somehow difficult to deal with. I always dreamed of riding the Tour de France, but of course I never dreamed of winning the Tour de France when I was little. Then I suddenly… well, it went so fast.”
“I think that the storm has subsided a bit now. So there’s no big deal with people wanting selfies and autographs anymore. It was more the first period right after,” Vingegaard continued. “If I go out and shop over there, it is of course different. And of course you won the Tour de France, but again, I’m still the same.”
Rúben SilvaEditor-in-Chief
A founding contributor to CyclingUpToDate since its launch in January 2022, Ruben Silva has played a central role in shaping the site’s editorial direction and long-term growth. Before joining the project, he built his experience through independent blogging at Echelons Hub and by producing race previews for Ciclismo Internacional, developing a strong analytical voice rooted in daily engagement with professional cycling.
Beyond editorial work, he has been closely involved in the expansion and coordination of CyclingUpToDate’s wider network, helping establish and support sister platforms across multiple languages. This includes ongoing collaboration with CiclismoAlDia (Spanish), CiclismoAtual (Portuguese), WielrennenUpToDate (Dutch), and RadsportAktuell (German), contributing to a shared editorial vision and consistent international coverage.
He also helps oversee editorial governance across the network, setting standards for accuracy and consistency and coordinating updates or corrections when needed.
Originally from the Porto metropolitan area in Portugal, he holds a bachelor’s degree in Geography. His path into cycling journalism was shaped not through formal media training, but through independent reporting, community engagement, and sustained on-the-ground involvement in the sport.
Over the course of his career, he has conducted approximately 100 interviews across road cycling and cyclocross, ranging from one-to-one conversations and online formats to press conferences and on-site pre- and post-race coverage. His interviews include leading riders, team managers, and prominent figures within cycling media: Tadej Pogacar, Jonas Vingegaard, Mathieu van der Poel, Primoz Roglic, Wout van Aert, Joao Almeida and Tom Pidcock; managers like Patrick Lefevere and Joxean Matxin; and YouTube personality Bryan Kennedy (BKXC)...
Within 18 months of launch, he helped grow CyclingUpToDate’s English-language platform into one of the most-read cycling news websites, built entirely from the ground up. As both a professional journalist and lifelong cycling enthusiast, his focus remains on delivering accurate, timely, and well-contextualized coverage.
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- A great route aswell. Col D'Arcy is a toughie
Rafionain-Glas03-11-2026 - Let Torito have a shot at itRafionain-Glas03-11-2026
- A great route, much more exciting than the Tour de France. Monte Livata is an interesting one, because they experimented with it at the 2026 Baby Giro, and it was fantastic. 4 km at 10%, then 10 km at 6.5% made for a great spectacle. The stage 16 is horribleRafionain-Glas03-11-2026
- I remember when Mark went through that. He was really experiencing lows and thought about quiting many times. It took him a long time to recover. I, like many others were overjoyed when he came back. I hope Lafay has been tested. I wish him the best.Paggss03-11-2026
- That sucks for him. I've always wondered what guys like him do after retiring from cycling - go back to uni? He's still a very young manCrashjames03-11-2026
- Good Point, I wonder if he's been testedmhfrvz03-11-2026
- A busy boy!Lozza03-11-2026
- I hope 2027 is his year.mij03-11-2026
- why does he have to? many GT riders from Froome to Contador to Indurain didn't do them.mij03-11-2026
- 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
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