"The fact he's going to be on the start line in Florence, he's here to win the Tour again" - 'Voice of the Tour de France' Phil Liggett backing Jonas Vingegaard

In what shape will Jonas Vingegaard be in at the 2024 Tour de France? On the eve of the Grand Tour the question remains unanswered and is on the mind of almost all cycling fans. One man who believes he knows the answer however, is 'the Voice of the Tour de France', Phil Liggett.

A true icon of sports commentary, the now 80-year-old Liggett is preparing to cover the 52nd Tour de France of his career. Given his vast experience, Liggett has understandably seen and commentated on a lot of the sport's most iconic moments and stories over the years. From Stephen Roche emerging through the fog, Laurent Fignon getting his heart broken by Greg LeMond on the Champs Elysees and even the rise and fall of Lance Armstrong, Liggett has seen it all. Ahead of the 2024 edition of the Tour de France, he believes Jonas Vingegaard more than stands a chance.

"If we were at a level table, there is only two guys going to win this race isn't there? Tadej Pogacar, or Jonas Vingegaard," Liggett analyses on NBC Sports Cycling's Beyond the Podium podcast. "However, that crash at the Itzulia Basque Country, I think it was the worst crash I've ever seen on television. It took out all the stars of the event, left them limping and hospital bound and one of the worst injuries, was of course, Jonas Vingegaard."

"He's never raced since! The team have been very shaded. But today, I spoke to the team manager, Grischa Niermann," Liggett continues. "I asked him the question point blank. Who decided if he is ready to ride the Tour de France? Apparently, Vingegaard said to Grischa; 'I am ready'."

"Now, he would not say he was ready to ride the Tour if he was 5% below being ready because this guy has always been honest," assesses the commentary icon. "You see him at the finish line, he walks up to his team and says: 'I wasn't so good today' or 'I can feel it coming now.' So I believe, the fact he's going to be on the start line in Florence, he's here to win the Tour again."