Vingegaard not Pogacar the favourite for 2025 Tour de France says Jerome Pineau: "He will be more than ready for the challenge come July"

It's fair to say, that after a dominant performance at the recent Criterium du Dauphiné, defending Maillot Jaune Tadej Pogacar heads to the Tour de France in 2025 as the man to beat once again in the eyes of most fans and experts. For French former Giro d'Italia stage winner Jerome Pineau, however, it is Jonas Vingegaard who is firmly the pre-Grand Tour favourite.

"I firmly believe it," Pineau begins in conversation with the Grand Plateau podcast, impressed by the level shown from Vingegaard at the Dauphine, despite the Dane's ultimate defeat by Pogacar in the high mountains. "He’s coming off a long training block, and I think he’s in astonishing form, considering everything he’s been through."

Pineau also looks towards the 2024 Tour de France as evidence to back up his claim, suggesting the performance of Vingegaard twelve months ago after so little preparation bodes well for this year, given he has had time to prepare properly. "I thought he was outstanding last year when he finished second," says Pineau firmly. "He never gave up. He was far behind Pogacar after a serious crash, yet he kept fighting."

And so, despite finishing almost a minute down on Pogacar at the Dauphine, Vingegaard remains the man to beat according to the French ex-pro. "I have him down as the Tour winner because he showed some impressive signs this week — especially in the time trial, where he took 30 seconds out of Pogacar," he explains. "I believe he’ll make huge strides and will be more than ready for the challenge come July."

"Pogacar will go chasing seconds in the first week because he enjoys racing aggressively, whereas Vingegaard is more calculated," Pineau concludes. "And in this Tour, you’ll need to be strategic due to the way the race is structured. You can’t waste too much energy early on — you have to be strong in the final week."