“The past two years I’ve just struggled” - Jonas Vingegaard lays bare long road back as early 2026 dominance shows peak form is close
Cycling
Jonas Vingegaard’s commanding start to the 2026 season has raised a familiar question. Not whether he can win again, but whether he is finally moving back towards the level that defined him before his career-threatening crash at the Itzulia Basque Country in 2024.
The Dane has already delivered overall victory at Paris-Nice and followed it up with another controlled and authoritative performance at the Volta a Catalunya. Across both races, he has not simply won, but dictated the terms. Repeated attacks from rivals, particularly from Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe in Catalunya, failed to dislodge him, while his own accelerations on the decisive climbs proved race-winning.
Yet despite those results, Vingegaard himself is not presenting this as a return to his absolute peak. Speaking to TV2 after sealing the overall victory in Catalunya, he admitted: “The past two years I’ve just struggled.”
It is a blunt assessment of a period that, on paper, still included major victories and podium finishes, but internally has been shaped by a long process of recovery. “I feel like I’ve spent the last two years fighting to get back to that level – and in a way, to the Jonas I was before my crash,” he said. “I feel, without consciously knowing it, that it has had a bigger impact than I thought.”
Progress, but not the finished product
The significance of those comments lies in what follows. For the first time since that crash, Vingegaard now feels he has reached that previous level again. “Now I’m back at that level and can maybe start to enjoy it a bit more.”
That sense of release has been visible in his racing. In Catalunya, he was not riding conservatively to defend a position. He was responding instantly to moves, choosing his moments and, when required, finishing the job himself. Even sustained pressure from multiple riders failed to expose any weakness.
But the most revealing line may be the one that looks forward rather than back. “I feel like I’m in good shape – not at my absolute best yet, but we made a plan with the team that I would progressively get better through the year. So I feel quite confident that I still have more in me.”
That is the detail that reframes his early-season dominance. These performances are not being presented as a peak. They are part of a build.
A return, and a warning
That progression carries clear implications for the months ahead. The Giro d’Italia looms as a new objective, while the Tour de France remains the ultimate reference point, where a renewed duel with Tadej Pogacar is expected.
If Vingegaard is already capable of controlling and winning races like Paris-Nice and the Volta a Catalunya without yet reaching what he considers his best level, the trajectory becomes difficult to ignore.
For two years, the focus was on whether he could return. Now, by his own admission, that phase may be complete. The next step is not recovery, but improvement. And if his own assessment proves accurate, the level he has shown so far this season may only be the beginning.
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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- A very true statement made by Johan Bruyneel: "We don’t know for sure about Jonas, because he dropped out of the Tour de France, but he would never have come close to Pogacar. Maybe he would have finished second. He won the Giro in dominant fashion and the Vuelta the year before, but Visma wants to win the Tour." That's exactly what I've been saying the last six months. If Pogi races with Jonas, the most he can be is second... UNLESS... Pogi crashes out or makes a BIG mistake, which is not likely to happen. Either Bruyneel thinks the way I do or he reads my posts. Ad acta!!!PogiSloFans13-11-2026
- TADEJ POGAČAR !!! "Anatomy of a G.O.A.T." OK, that's great!!! I've been saying all along: Tadej Pogačar-Pogi is the G.O.A.T... period. Not only in cycling... but he's the greatest sportsman that ever lived !!! But let's take a look of what real foolishness looks like: We have many many fools, also on this site, saying that Pogi is "boring,"... he's making cycling "boring"??? I can't believe what's comming out of their deteriorating smelly mouths. So I guess Merckx, Hinault, Indurain, Fasto Coppi and Anquetil were also boring!?!? I guess Michael Jordan, Le Bron, Gretzky, Messi, Ronaldo, Shumacher, Novak Džoković, Federer, Rossi, Marquez, Phelps, Michaela Shiffrin, Venus Williams, Bolt, Lewis Hamilton... etc. were all boring. PS: Many cycling "fans" that think that way, have to get a brain scan. Ad acta!!!PogiSloFans13-11-2026
- Ayuso has had enough time. He's always going to be a mediocre to good cyclist... nothing special or astonishing. But he does have many excuses, just like Remco, but Remco delivers good wins on occasions, Ayuso doesn't. Ad acta!!!PogiSloFans13-11-2026
- I agree, Johan Bruyneel made big mistakes, he was involved in the biggest doping scandal in the history of sports... BUT NEVERTHELESS... Bruyneels analysis on bike racing and cyclists is among the best. That's a fact... period!!! I love listening to Spencer Martin and Johan on WEDU-THE MOVE PODCAST, but I don't care about Armstrong and Hincapie. They are both american bull shi***s who like to exaggerate and talk nonsense.PogiSloFans13-11-2026
- the headline is poorly written too. it makes it sound like their plan is to simply wait until he stops.mij13-11-2026
- It doesnt take a genius to understand that Pogi is 1 level above and Pogi is younger that Jonas, so Jonas will not win under ordinary circumstances. Pogi has to crack hard for Jonas to win. It doesn't matter whether you defend Jonas or not , facts remain facts. Jonas himself says his numbers are better than 2022/2023, so Jonas is more or less optimized and we are just see the stochastic variation due to other factors. I think he will retire along with Pedersen in WC denmarkabstractengineer13-11-2026
- They only raced each other during the 2026 Tour, but here's a few metrics to look at. Stage 3 (Granollers to Les Angles): Pogačar won the stage, finishing 2 seconds ahead of Vingegaard (2nd). Del Toro finished 24 seconds behind Stage 6 (Pau to Gavarnie-Gedre / Col du Tourmalet): Pogačar won solo, Vingegaard finished 2nd (losing 2:38), and Del Toro finished 3rd (at +2:57, finishing 19 seconds behind Vingegaard). Here, Jonas Vingegaard outclimbed Isaac del Toro by 19 seconds on the mountain stageawp13-11-2026
- your clinging to the past. Jonas was dropped by del toro many times last year and jonas never managed a climbing numers del toro did in dauphine last year -entire year. Trend is also evident theres no discussion your living in the past, its beent he same with jonas for many years now and only developing, meanwhile del toro is rising and developing greatly. This is all obvious stuff and im not even a del toro fan. No point discussing numbers or this i suspect you dont watch much now but rather think its 2022 still cause this aint hard.miguel13-11-2026
- We can go through metrics if you like, Del Toro, who I do admire and support, is not on the same level as Jonas just yet. You will see that in early 2027 if they have any crossover races. I do hope they both race the Giro. You are correct though, Jonas is getting older and will not be able to hand on much longer. I see 2027 as a good year for him. Obviously behind Tadej though.awp13-11-2026
- What wins? Are you LA operating under a pseudonym?mij13-11-2026
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