Visma | Lease a Bike confident Jonas Vingegaard can beat Tadej Pogacar: “In 2025 it will be different again”
CyclingThursday, 31 October 2024 at 10:41
Visma | Lease a Bike remains confident that Jonas
Vingegaard, the Tour de France winner in 2022 and 2023, will be able to compete
head-to-head with Tadej Pogacar for the 2025 Tour de France title. Vingegaard’s
performance this year was significantly impacted by his serious crash in the
spring, which left him facing a long recovery before the Tour began.
Frans Maassen, team manager at Visma, discussed Vingegaard’s
challenges and outlook with Wielerflits, sharing insight into the Danish
rider’s resilience. “Jonas went into the off-season with a good feeling,”
Maassen said.
“This year it didn’t feel like losing the Tour. The Tour
even felt like a victory to us. It was uncertain until the last moment whether
he would even be able to start in the Tour. We were really nervous before those
first stages whether he would even be able to hold his own and ride in the
peloton. That was a bit of a thing. Fortunately, it all went well.”
Despite the challenges, Maassen is optimistic about
Vingegaard’s chances. “Pogacar is simply the best. It is up to the rest of the
peloton to look to reduce the gap,” he explained, adding that it will take
combined efforts from multiple teams to challenge the Slovenian’s dominance.
“Hopefully the gap will be a bit smaller again next year.”
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While the 2025 Tour de France route was just announced,
Maassen clarified that final decisions about Vingegaard’s 2025 racing schedule
have yet to be made. “The Tour remains the most important. The best riders
always go there. But the Giro d'Italia and Vuelta will also always be
well-attended,” he noted, suggesting that while the Tour is likely to remain
the primary goal, other Grand Tours could be in consideration.
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The last two TdeF have been decided by which one of these two riders crashed before the TdeF.
We need to see what happens if both are healthy.
Of course, did people think Visma would come out and say Jonas doesn’t have a chance to beat Pogi?
I’m just hoping everyone can stay upright on their bikes and avoid serious crashes. Jonas does have a strong team for next year.
“Hopefully the gap will be a bit smaller again next year.”
vs
“IN 2025 IT WILL BE DIFFERENT AGAIN”
What he actually said is very different from what the title says
yeah is he conceding in october?
Gap gonna be smaller next year, it will be different again.
Like the last 4 tours, gap is different, again, and the gap will be smaller?
Think it sounds alright going into pre Tour