“Today, same plan as yesterday..." Tadej Pogacar & Jonas Vingegaard threaten more chaos on stage 2 of the Dauphiné

Tadej Pogacar and Jonas Vingegaard were vibrant, attacking and incredibly entertaining on the opening stage of the 2025 Criterium du Dauphiné on Sunday. Can we expect more of the same from the two superstars on stage 2 this Monday?

Pogacar was the man who prevailed on stage 1, taking the race lead. But the UAE Team Emirates - XRG star isn’t convinced he’ll keep the yellow jersey all the way to Sunday without losing it at some point. Speaking before the start of Stage 2, he shared his realistic outlook: “No, I was not expecting to have it on day one, and I also don't expect to have it every single day here. We’ll see — maybe today already I can lose the jersey, or after the time trial. You never know. But the main goal is to have it on Sunday in Paris.”

After an aggressive and unpredictable finale on Stage 1, Pogacar doesn't foresee a repeat of that intensity from the GC riders in Stage 2. While he expects the racing to remain lively, he believes a bunch sprint is the most likely outcome: “Today, same plan as yesterday: go with the flow and see what others do. I think it's going to be a bit chaotic to the finish line, but not like yesterday.”

For the Slovenian, the Dauphiné isn’t just about chasing stage wins or holding yellow — it's also a chance to study his main rivals ahead of the Tour de France: “It’s a good race to get to know your opponents even better. Like we saw yesterday — Jonas was aggressive, and he’s in good shape. So yeah, we can take some notes for sure.”

He also noted that the level across the peloton is already very high: “For sure the level is close to 100% right now for most of the bunch. You could smell it already yesterday at the front. I think, like me, like everybody else, after the race we’ll see if there are improvements to make or if you just need to chill out a little bit before the Tour.”

Vingegaard surprised many with an uncharacteristic attack near the end of Stage 1. The Danish rider, who hadn’t raced since his crash at Paris–Nice in March, spoke before Stage 2 about his current condition — and his confidence as the Tour de France draws closer: “Yeah, I mean, I’m just happy about how everything is going. Happy with myself, with the team, with my shape. So yeah, I’m just calm and trying to do my best here, and also afterwards — towards the Tour, and in the Tour.”

With Pogacar in yellow, Vingegaard will wear the green jersey of points leader during Stage 2 — a moment that marks a unique milestone in his career. He’s now worn every classification jersey in ASO races: “Yeah, it's nice. I guess the collection is complete now — I've been in the white, the yellow, the polka dots, and now the green. So, I’ve worn all the jerseys of an ASO race. Obviously, it’s nice.”