"When he went, I knew I had to ride my own tempo" - Jonas Vingegaard unwilling to explode on Tadej Pogacar's wheel again
Cycling
Jonas Vingegaard lost more ground to Tadej Pogacar on stage 10 of the Tour de France 2026. The Dane could not answer the overall leader’s explosive kick on the penultimate climb of the day and ceded time not only to the solo-winning Slovenian, but also to the likes of Remco Evenepoel and Paul Seixas.
Vingegaard did not try responding to Tadej Pogacar
Visma raced from the wheel, not wanting to spend unnecessary bullets on a day where UAE took responsibility over the pace in the peloton. Matteo Jorgenson suffered a crash; whilst Davide Piganzoli on the other hand put in a stellar ride to lead up the Col de Pertus at a time where UAE slowed down due to Isaac del Toro's difficulties.
Tadej Pogacar attacked and Vingegaard then took over the chasing group throughout much of the final categorized climbs. That was a costly effort however, as in the hilltop finish to Le Lioran, he shed seconds to all of his direct rivals - 12 in total, on the road alone, to Remco Evenepoel, in a matter of 1 kilometer.
A difficult day, and a loss of almost a minute to Tadej Pogacar who looks to be out of reach. Even so, the Team Visma | Lease a Bike leader sounded satisfied with his ride and made it clear his confidence remains intact ahead of the high mountains, where longer, steadier ascents await, terrain that historically suits him far better.
Jonas Vingegaard ahead of Stage 9 at the 2026 Tour de France
Vingegaard explained that as soon as Pogacar launched, he knew chasing would have been a mistake.“When he went, I knew I had to ride my own tempo. I knew it was a time trial to the line. I got a little help from the others and it was a good day,” summed up the two-time Tour winner.
The Dane chose to meter his effort to the finish rather than try to follow a surge that again showcased the UAE Team Emirates-XRG leader’s punch.
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Vingegaard does not lose hope of winning the Tour de France
Although he leaked a few more seconds in the general classification, Vingegaard feels his form is building as the race goes on. “I think my legs are getting better every day, especially on longer climbs, and I hope I can keep improving,” he said.
The coming mountain stages, with long passes and sustained gradients, offer a chance for the Dane to try to shift the Tour’s momentum. To put Pogacar under pressure, he will need to show his best on terrain where he has previously made differences. For now, defending his second place looks like a more realistic approach to his GC battle.
Rúben SilvaEditor-in-Chief
A founding contributor to CyclingUpToDate since its launch in January 2022, Ruben Silva has played a central role in shaping the site’s editorial direction and long-term growth. Before joining the project, he built his experience through independent blogging at Echelons Hub and by producing race previews for Ciclismo Internacional, developing a strong analytical voice rooted in daily engagement with professional cycling.
Beyond editorial work, he has been closely involved in the expansion and coordination of CyclingUpToDate’s wider network, helping establish and support sister platforms across multiple languages. This includes ongoing collaboration with CiclismoAlDia (Spanish), CiclismoAtual (Portuguese), WielrennenUpToDate (Dutch), and RadsportAktuell (German), contributing to a shared editorial vision and consistent international coverage.
He also helps oversee editorial governance across the network, setting standards for accuracy and consistency and coordinating updates or corrections when needed.
Originally from the Porto metropolitan area in Portugal, he holds a bachelor’s degree in Geography. His path into cycling journalism was shaped not through formal media training, but through independent reporting, community engagement, and sustained on-the-ground involvement in the sport.
Over the course of his career, he has conducted approximately 100 interviews across road cycling and cyclocross, ranging from one-to-one conversations and online formats to press conferences and on-site pre- and post-race coverage. His interviews include leading riders, team managers, and prominent figures within cycling media: Tadej Pogacar, Jonas Vingegaard, Mathieu van der Poel, Primoz Roglic, Wout van Aert, Joao Almeida and Tom Pidcock; managers like Patrick Lefevere and Joxean Matxin; and YouTube personality Bryan Kennedy (BKXC)...
Within 18 months of launch, he helped grow CyclingUpToDate’s English-language platform into one of the most-read cycling news websites, built entirely from the ground up. As both a professional journalist and lifelong cycling enthusiast, his focus remains on delivering accurate, timely, and well-contextualized coverage.
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- Yes, Roglic could theoretically have beaten Sepp. Jonas must have had complete confidence that he could come back and win the Vuelta another year. Visma had not allowed Roglic to ride the Tour that year, so his future did not look so bright, despite his narrow Giro win..Hills3315-11-2026
- So far, a good series about riders before my time, even if the text feels AI generated like so much on this site. About the rider, he seems like one of many who are active fan favorites but don’t survive in the stories of cycling, a few decades later - I didn’t really know anything about him and this was a good read, thank you!RidesHills15-11-2026
- A calm, honest documentary, a bit of hagiography but mostly not too much. When he talks about a coffee shop, it aligns with several things in his world - he might want calm, but he does (more than a little bit) have someone near him (his fiancee) who makes sure that things happen the way he expects. Many atheletes have retired only to find out just how much others were taking care of their lives for them. If they work out (I'm old, things happen), I am sure it will take a renegotiation, which is a good thing. I truly enjoyed watching it, seeing him, seeing her, seeing the whole system built around him.RidesHills15-11-2026
- You do? My mother grew up around Bleiburg (Pliberk), across the border in Austria . My grandparents lived close to the train station in Bleiburg, and I spent a lot of the 70s and 80s there. The "Jugo" train of my youth went to Dravograd or Maribor, exotic places (behind the wall) at the time. What a moment that was, the 10 days war of '91 - times sure have changed.RidesHills15-11-2026
- I hope he rides a bitmij15-11-2026
- Greatest athlete this world has ever produced ! LOL ... you definitely are a comdian ! Cycling is so sprecialized and you think he's the greatest athlete ever ! Still laughing !frieders315-11-2026
- b.s. headline. Jonas wasn't told anything, it is just a pundit telling him what to do. the actual article is not even close to the insinuation of the headline.mij15-11-2026
- I think Roglic could have beaten Sepp. not Jonas. I was referring to Sepp.mij15-11-2026
- I'm deeply sick of this guy and his unwillingness to race seriously for more than a month or two. I'll never respect riders who do that. Seixas will be stronger than him next season, and maybe Del Toro as well. I don't even think he'll finish on the podium at any GT where Pogi, Seixas, and Del Toro are racing.megasmacky15-11-2026
- Not a chance in hell.megasmacky15-11-2026
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