"We have to try to win it back somewhere" - Visma remain confident despite Jonas Vingegaard now over a minute down on Tadej Pogacar at Tour de France
CyclingSaturday, 06 July 2024 at 10:45
Jonas Vingegaard might have finished 4th on the stage 7 individual time-trial of the 2024 Tour de France, dropping to more than a minute down on his arch rival, Tadej Pogacar, but Team Visma | Lease a Bike maintain an optimistic outlook towards their leader's performances.
In something that is quickly becoming a running theme to Team Visma | Lease a Bike's post-stage interviews, "today we had expected to lose a bit more time," began the team's sports director, Merijn Zeeman in his post-stage reflections with Wielerflits. "Fortunately, that climb was still quite tough and he was able to make up some time. I think it was just really good. With this start, with the rides through Italy, the one with the Galibier and the time trial, we knew we would have to lose some time."
The fact of the matter is though, that with the 2024 Tour de France now a third of the way through, the two-time Maillot Jaune winner finds himself 3rd in the general classification, 1:15 off the pace being set by Tadej Pogacar.
“That's true, but it stayed within limits. We have to try to win it back somewhere," Zeeman analyses. "In the third week we'll see if Jonas' base is strong enough that he can rise above himself there, because he obviously needs that to win the Tour. We'll have to wait and see. The gravel stage will also be exciting, but that goes for everyone. One reconnaissance doesn't necessarily make you better on gravel. We'll have to deliver a top performance there as a team.”
2024 Tour de France stage 7 results:
| 1 | EVENEPOEL Remco | Soudal Quick-Step | 210 | 00:28:52 |
| 2 | POGACAR Tadej | UAE Team Emirates | 150 | + 12 |
| 3 | ROGLIC Primoz | Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe | 110 | + 34 |
| 4 | VINGEGAARD Jonas | Team Visma | Lease a Bike | 90 | + 37 |
| 5 | CAMPENAERTS Victor | Lotto Dstny | 70 | + 52 |
| 6 | VAUQUELIN Kévin | ARKEA-B&B HOTELS | 55 | + 52 |
| 7 | JORGENSON Matteo | Team Visma | Lease a Bike | 45 | + 54 |
| 8 | ALMEIDA Joao | UAE Team Emirates | 40 | + 57 |
| 9 | HEALY Ben | EF Education-EasyPost | 35 | + 59 |
| 10 | KÜNG Stefan | Groupama-FDJ | 30 | + 01:00 |
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- Wout is an absolute warrior. Trek bossed them all. And JV was nowhere. That being said Id love to see wout winning he’s such a good guy. The giro is long so here’s hoping. I don’t like this article that he should be happy with 2ndmij10-05-2025
- Ineos pretend Thymen's loss is not a big deal, but I don't think this is a good sign. I hope Bernal is fit, would be good for him to have another shot at normal life.Ride197410-05-2025
- To finish second to Mads Petersen in a photo finish, after such a chaotic first stage where Lidl-Trek controlled the race to perfection, while the Visma team was conspicuouly absent, is nothing to be ashamed about. During the interview, Wout was visibly spent, more so than Mads.. but I felt he was more a victor than a loser, given the circumstances. I'm excited to see what Wout will do in this Giro.FredMan10-05-2025
- I feel for Spain. Landa was one of their only two realistic GC hopes.Ride197410-05-2025
- Since the TT has a lot of sharp turns, does that perhaps play in Mads' favor, since he can sprint out of corners faster than many?Ride197410-05-2025
- The point of the article is well taken. Don’t judge a riders grand tour results after one stage. But he is slowly becoming a regular second.mij10-05-2025
- I’m disagreeing with the headline and tone of the article. I don’t even see Wout quoted. And he doesn’t offer excuses. My comment stands. He has no wins in his cobbled monuments. And is second too many times. And shouldn’t accept these results.mij10-05-2025
- Hey, Wout is one of the least excuse seeking riders out there, read the article again and let’s wait and see over the 3 weeks. Also a bad sign if you’re willing to give up on him faster than himself.Mistermaumau09-05-2025
- No more than Primoz at the TdFMistermaumau09-05-2025
- Sorry but Iagree more with the article at this point of the season. Had Mads not had a perfect lead-out it would have been a done deal already.Mistermaumau09-05-2025
Visma are so full of shit. Jonas could be 5 mins down on Pogi by now and it would still be "better than we thought" and "we'll get it back somewhere, we have answers ready." How can you expect to get it back if you keep expecting to lose minutes to Pogi on every stage? And didn't this Zeeman character tell everyone that they had lowered their expectations for the Tour before it started, that the injuries were so severe? Now they expect him to beat Pog with an over a minute deficite in week 1? I'm sick of these big-mouthed directors constantly trying to make us swallow their shit load of lies
There was a comment by Phil Liggett on todays stage that Jonas had said he is 8 lbs lighter than last years Tour weight! Now either Phil is senile and wrong or Jonas has lost a lot of muscle mass after that crash !
Which begs the question how he produced today's ride.
I sure hope not. I'll lose all confidence in the sport if that happens.
In what way? If you're referring to PEDs, they're all on them, including the people struggling to meet the time cuts
I think I would follow cycling regardless of PEDs. I have so far. However, I don't like competing against people on PEDs.
LOL. Straight from the Lance fanboy script.
If something is too good to be real, it's not real.
Jonas is insulting the sport with this sham of his.
Lance used the exact same excuse. Don't believe our lying eyes!
As a realist I'm not buying in.
Notice the not so thinly veiled threat that Visma sycophant hurled at me?
Well said.
Unlike Denmark, free speech is protected in America.
Thanks!
We know insuts aren't nice but you're diverting by using his inuslts as means of reasoning. Sweep made some excellent points but your reply uses Steel Frame's insults to end the conversation, passively dismissing further constructive talk about this very interesting topic.