“Pogacar unbeatable? I’m not worried about what analysts say" - Jonas Vingegaard

Jonas Vingegaard’s 2026 is officially starting this Saturday at Paris-Nice as the Dane has landed in France, eyeing the overall win in a race that destroyed his previous spring campaign. He has been asked about Tadej Pogacar ahead of the race but was unmoved by the remarks.

“It’s the first race of the year and that always brings doubts about your condition, but I’ve had a good winter and training has gone well. The thing is, the others have already raced and know better where they stand. I’m here to win,” the Dane told Sporza.

Initially, he was set to start at the UAE Tour, but a crash and a bout of illness altered his plans. Vingegaard said the incident was not as serious as it first appeared, however it was a notable moment of his winter campaign which did not take place in the ideal conditions.

“The injury wasn’t that bad, it looked worse than it really was, and the day after the crash I could train, but after that fall I got sick and had to change plans. It wasn’t anything major, I’ve trained well, I’m in good shape and ready to race.”

In recent weeks there has also been talk that his calendar may be designed to avoid showdowns with Tadej Pogacar before the summer. The Dane, however, downplays that debate. “Pogacar unbeatable? I’m not worried about what analysts say. I focus on my own plan.”

That plan includes riding the Giro d’Italia before the Tour de France, a decision he believes can help him reach his best level, as was the case with the World Champion two seasons ago. Vingegaard considers that racing two Grand Tours in the same season allows him to arrive stronger at the second.

“My absolute power is higher when I ride a second Grand Tour in the same season. So I think doing the Giro will allow me to be better for the Tour. I also saw I needed a change after running the same race program for five years. I have that big ambition to win the Giro, having already won the Tour and La Vuelta.”

Lastly, the Dane assessed Remco Evenepoel’s start to the season, with the Belgian already showing strong form in the first races of the year. Even so, Vingegaard noted that spring results do not always reflect what happens in the summer in the longer events in which he aims for.

“He also started strong, as we saw in Mallorca and Valencia. He had a small setback at the UAE Tour. But I always say what you do in spring doesn’t matter for the summer. He will also be very strong when the Tour comes," the Dane assures, not underestimating his rival.