"Will I still be racing at 36?" - Jonas Vingegaard on career longevity, two Grand Tours a year and Pogacar comparison

Jonas Vingegaard is one of the most unique riders in the peloton and also one of the most talented, but he hasn't been able to translate that quality into the one-day races. In a recent interview he discusses that, Tadej Pogacar's presence, the capacity to do two Grand Tours a year and how long he may race for.

"I'd really like to excel in the classics. But I haven't figured out how to perform in those kinds of races yet," Vingegaard said in an interview with Wielerevue. "There are riders who ride for three hours at race pace the day before a major classic. I don't know if that's the right recipe. Maybe I should test that approach sometime."

The Dane certainly doesn't have the experience in the one-day races but the odd situation is his lack of performance uphill, whereas on the stage-races he has it. The Team Visma | Lease a Bike rider looked to perform at the recent European Championships where he had a great shot at a top result, but found himself dropped with over 100 kilometers to go.

It was yet another clear sign of a drop in performance which he hasn't yet been able to resolve. Yet if he does decide to do so more next year, he is going to do it focusing on himself and how he can improve, and not in his rival who is already an obstacle in other races: "I don't take Tadej [Pogacar]'s participation into account. We're just focused on ourselves and have our own ambitions."

The topic of two Grand Tours was discussed, and he believes he has gotten that aspect well dialed in this year. "Before I got sick in the Vuelta, I was in absolute top form. It seems I could very well ride two Grand Tours in one year."

However it's the mental aspect that is difficult, specially with a young family at home which he knows is difficult to balance out. "It's tough being away from home so much. It's the cumulative amount of days abroad that's tiring."

However he is not yet considering or having thoughts of retirement in the future. The two-time Tour de France winner still has a lot to win in his career and is widely considered the second best climber in the world. "Will I still be racing at 36? That's still a long way off. I don't want to rule anything out, but I'm taking things as they come. If the moment comes that I no longer feel like it, then I'll stop," he concluded.