"Vingegaard acted as a frightened weasel" - Michel Wuyts' astonishing criticism of Tour de France winner
Cycling
Jonas Vingegaard has secured himself a second straight Tour de France victory, claiming a dominant position at the top of the general classification over seven minutes clear of Tadej Pogacar. For Michel Wuyts however, this wasn't enough.
"He could have shown himself to be an even greater champion," says the Belgian analyst to HLN, referencing the stage 20 finale as the root of his frustrations. "I was left hungry when Vingegaard refused to take over from Pogacar. It was a bit drizzly. Vingegaard acted as a frightened weasel. Partly because he likes to be surrounded and missed Kuss. But also because he feared a defeat against Pogacar. With a seven-minute lead, there was room to take up the gauntlet."
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Wuyts, who famously said he viewed Remco Evenepoel as the true winner of the Giro d'Italia earlier this year, despite the fact it was Primoz Roglic who wore the Maglia Rosa in Rome, was not impressed by Vingegaard's performance on stage 20. "Vingegaard could have lost a few seconds at the most. Then show yourself as a champion and complete the fantastic piece of work that this Tour is."
Wuyts also references the questions raised by Vingegaard's dominance as a few have begun to raise questions of doping. "Given the history of this sport, it is right that questions are asked. Especially if someone drives 4.5 seconds per kilometre faster than the closest opponent in a time trial," says the Belgian. "But add up all the details that make up those striking differences and you'll almost get there. The only question mark remains the medical support. Teams have also taken steps in recovery resources. It would be nice if they showed how they get their riders to the start as fresh as possible every day."
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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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- Are you MrMauMau 2.0? Nothing you are saying is really relevant. Vaguely connected, but irrelevant. The conversation is whether Schreiber impeded Brand or not.
Rafionain-Glas08-11-2026 - He is boring
leedorney08-11-2026 - To Twoje przemyślenia te bla, bla :)
Dariusz08-11-2026 - Uwielbiam patrzeć, jak wyjeżdża na czoło peletonu i zaczyna się rzeź...
Dariusz08-11-2026 - Yeah, unreal.
parisbound0008-11-2026 - there needs to be space in life for pointless comments!Ketterechts08-11-2026
- That is a very lazy way of putting it but so far on this website it seems like everyone is happy to look at everything lazily, even things that annoy them intensely. All they want to do is state their feeling and position but ask most to analyse a problem or come up with solutions or improvements and you’re stunned by silence. Nobody even really knows how this all happens. It’s very simple and quick to just say the UCI did it but I bet you they didn’t, I bet you not more than 2 people were involved, more likely just 1. The UCI may be ultimately responsible but it is not their decision, this is about hierarchy, power and delegation. The fact that protest is possible also means it isn’t over and that MORE people could get involved for a thorough review which could throw up anything. It is highly likely it was a sole commissar who decided and has that power in a first round. Therein might lie the problem the UCI has to consider, is it acceptable to give so much authority to one single person when it is quite possible for them to have a natural bias or be too easily susceptible to imposed bias. Who is to say an individual in this position isn’t susceptible to collaboration with outside players with interests in the results, nations, families, teams, betting companies, etc. On the one hand we have sports where these problems have been worked on way more to reduce such problems, on the other hand we have sports with far stricter and more draconian rules not even concerning safety or obstruction that nobody really questions like false starts or stepping out of lane or zones in athletics. If cycling hastowork on itself, it would be good if protagonists (all kinds) would start doing a little more than just moaning over outcomes.Jumpyjohn08-11-2026
- Yes, so why not make comments less pointless?Jumpyjohn08-11-2026
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Rafionain-Glas08-11-2026 - There really was nothing in it. Schreiber was so much faster, and Brand was fighting to stay in the wheel in the sprint. Schreiber did move a bit, but to say she closed the door doesn't make sense because Brand couldn't enter it anyway, abd she wasn't impeded.
Rafionain-Glas08-11-2026
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🇫🇷 #TDF2023 It's coming really close now! 🤩 💬 "I could never have done this without this fantastic team." - Jonas Vingegaard Read more in our report! ✍🏼⤵️
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