"Racing 21 more days which means 21 more opportunities that you could have a crash" - Jonas Vingegaard warned against Giro d'Italia debut in 2025
Cycling
The 2025 Tour de France is already looking like one of the most hotly anticipated in a long while, as Jonas Vingegaard looks to reclaim the Maillot Jaune lost to arch-rival Tadej Pogacar earlier this year. Against an all-conquering Pogacar though, can Vingegaard raise his level enough ready for next summer?
"I do believe that he can," American ex-pro and former 4th on GC at the Tour de France, Christian Vande Velde predicts on the latest episode of NBC Sports Cycling's Beyond the Podium podcast. "This is an open bike race and I believe there are so many other factors that go into this. That's why we have a race, anything can happen. You could have sickness, you could come to the line not as fresh as you should be and like has been referenced before, he (Pogacar ed.) crashed in Liege (before 2023 Tour de France ed.). So first and foremost, you have to get to the start line as fit as you possibly can."
The last four editions of the Tour de France have been dominated by the Vingegaard-Pogacar rivalry. In 2021 and 2024 the Slovenian led home the Dane, but in 2022 and 2023, Vingegaard proved he can push Pogacar further than anyone else in the pro peloton. "There is every chance in the world that Jonas can win a 3rd Tour de France. No doubt about that," Vande Velde says firmly. "Tadej Pogacar has the momentum though and in modern sports these days, when you have lost the momentum it's really hard to get that back, but they (Visma ed.) have to get that back in someway shape or form."
One of the ways Vingegaard could reportedly look to build up momentum is by embarking on a Giro d'Italia debut in 2025 and attempt to replicate Pogacar's Giro-Tour double from this year. According to Vande Velde though, this might not be the wisest of tactics from Vingegaard and Team Visma | Lease a Bike.
"Is he going to do the Giro d'Italia? That's a big risk!" the American ponders. "You're racing 21 more days which means 21 more opportunities that you could have a crash that is completely out of your control. Somebody else crashes, it's wet, you have a flat tyre, whatever!" Vande Velde warns.
Christian Vande Velde is confident that we could see Jonas Vingegaard win the Tour de France again. pic.twitter.com/M82alHekCs
— NBC Sports Cycling (@NBCSCycling) November 30, 2024
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- tom is still only 25. yeah, some years have been squandered, but perhaps there’s time to right the ship. the problem though is figuring out exactly what he should be targeting. GC? while pog, jonas and remco are all in their prime? probably not. classics? with another 5+ years of mathieu, wout, pog, remco, etc? so, stages? yeah, IF he can embrace that role, but it still seems like he doesnt see that as lofty enough.OCexile05-12-2024
- Christian Vande Velde - the pool of optimism!
leedorney05-12-2024 - Hope he gets his chance, redemption for all the years of false accusationsMistermaumau04-12-2024
- There's no guarantees in life ! Anything can happen in or out of a bike race to change your fortunes if you're basing your whole year on the TdF. Sure you can reduce the odds in your favor but you only live once...go for it!frieders304-12-2024
- If racing the Giro is a big risk , all preparatory races will fall under the same category since no race is risk free. As seen from Remco even Training is not risk free. Vandevelde sometimes talks crapabstractengineer04-12-2024
- No Chris, you’re getting old without trying and unsuccessfully trying to be your young self again.Mistermaumau04-12-2024
- I once worked for an employer that was so good at putting people off staying we started a social group for ex-employees which grew and grew until it was larger than the workforce. 20 years on we still meet up to laugh about things back then. I see an opportunity here ;-)Mistermaumau04-12-2024
- That’s one reason I never told mine about the ones I could avoid discussing ;-)Mistermaumau04-12-2024
- It’s something to take into consideration, the Giro is one of the more dangerous events. But, there’s also the fact that one day TP will have another crash. It used to be so much easier to decide what to race and what not :-)Mistermaumau04-12-2024
- Courageous and wise and good for you but someone else will, that’s the nature of capitalism, and then someone will accept less than the minimum and then someone will do it as an internship an then someone will do it voluntarily for the chance and after we’ll be back toa form of emotional slavery ;-)Mistermaumau04-12-2024