“We’ve only had one stage..." - Former Tour de France winner urges calm as experts rave over Jonas Vingegaard's Dauphiné return

Jonas Vingegaard looked as good as he has done for a long time on Sunday afternoon, as he returned to racing for the first time in nearly three months with a bright and attacking display on the opening stage of the 2025 Criterium du Dauphiné. According to one former Tour de France winner however, people shouldn't be going overboard in their praise of the Dane just yet.

“Yes, I saw a strong Jonas Vingegaard on Sunday – clearly well-prepared for the Dauphiné, and of course for the Tour as well," begins the 1996 Tour de France champion Bjarne Riis in his post-stage analysis for BT.dk, before the experienced Dane cautions the widespread praise of his compatriot in the media. "Whether he’s stronger than ever – it’s too early to say.”

Whilst it was brilliant to see Vingegaard instigating attacks, pushing the likes of Tadej Pogacar, Mathieu van der Poel and Remco Evenepoel to their limits - even on the flat, Riis insists that it is unwise to get too excited over just one day of racing. “We’ve only had one stage!" Riis insists. "Let’s get through the mountain stages and see where Jonas really stands. There’s no doubt he’s strong, but we’ll need to wait until the weekend to get a clearer picture before making any firm conclusions.”