"We think we've figured it out but we're keeping it a secret" - Jonas Vingegaard hopeful bad days won't ruin La Vuelta chances

At the Tour de France Jonas Vingegaard never came truly close to beating Tadej Pogacar, but on several days in the second half of the race he seemed to be close in level to the Slovenian. However he lost significant time on the race's time-trial and on Hautacam which virtually cemeted his defeat. Now, the Team Visma | Lease a Bike rider starts the Vuelta a Espana hoping he and the team has understood why that's happened.

"We think we've figured it out but we're keeping it a secret. Will I never have an off day again? It can always happen, although we certainly hope not," Vingegaard said in the team's press conference, as reported by Wielerflits. Team Visma | Lease a Bike start the race with the ambition of winning the overall classification, little else would be considered a win for the Dane who comes in as the main favourite to win the red jersey.

"I'm here to win the Vuelta, that much is clear. Only if I do that will this race be a success for the team. But of course: there are so many different scenarios possible in a Grand Tour that I won't win," he explains.

"In the Vuelta two years ago, for example, I got sick at the beginning of the race. Fortunately, as the Vuelta progressed, I got better and better and reached my normal level at the end. Let's hope I don't get sick again like I did then, but one thing's for sure: only the victory counts."

Two years ago he finished second to teammate Sepp Kuss, who will come in as a luxury domestique this Saturday in Torino - with the likes of Matteo Jorgenson and Victor Campenaerts also linking up with the two-time Tour de France winner after their success at the Tour de France as a block in the mountains.

Vingegaard will be facing João Almeida and Juan Ayuso likely as his big rivals but in the Vuelta, with riders coming in with different preparations and with the weather often playing a key role in the race, we could see some surprises.

"I also strongly considered Richard Carapaz before that, but he's not competing. So it's mainly UAE. They have a very good team, but we have a good plan. What that plan is? We're not going to tell you, of course. I definitely have a few stages in mind," he winks.