“With Tadej you need to expect everything” – Can Jonas Vingegaard upset the one day specialists at the European Championships?
Cycling
Jonas Vingegaard lines up at today’s European Championships road race in Drôme–Ardèche stepping back into unfamiliar territory, a rare
one-day appearance against two of his great rivals, Tadej Pogacar and Remco
Evenepoel. For the two-time Tour de France champion, it’s his first major
one-day outing since Il Lombardia in 2022, a gap he was reminded of with a grin
before the start.
“Yeah, 2022,” he laughed to Cycling Pro Net. “That’s already some years ago. I
think I got dropped, as I remember it, but I’m not sure.”
The Dane, who opted to skip the World Championships in
Rwanda to focus on this race, admitted much has changed since that last
appearance. “Of course, a lot has happened since 2022. I’m a lot better
compared to how I was then,” he said. “But the competition is also a lot
better. We just have to do our best and see what the result will be.”
The 203-kilometre course, with its three climbs of
Saint-Romain-de-Lerps (7.1 km at 7%) and six punishing ascents of Val d’Enfer
(1.5 km at nearly 10%), will test endurance and climbing tactics, terrain that
suits Vingegaard, but one that leaves little margin for error. “I think the
parcours is very, very hard,” he said. “It will be a very hard race again, and
it will be with the best riders, for sure.”
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Vingegaard is fresh off of winning the Vuelta a Espana for
the first time in his career, and will co-lead Team Denmark alongside Mattias
Skjelmose, a plan he’s fully behind. “Matias is a very good guy,” he said. “The
plan is that we go for it as a team. If he wins, I’ll still be very happy.”
As for strategy, Vingegaard expects a chaotic race. “With
Tadej, you need to expect everything,” he said with a wry smile, aware of Pogacar’s
tendency to attack from long range.
Read also
Fin MajorCycling Journalist
Fin Major is a UK-based writer at CyclingUpToDate and has been part of the team since 2024. He is the site’s main writer for FAQs and evergreen explainers and has written around 2,000 pieces for the platform. Alongside this work, he focuses on in-depth analysis and covers the biggest races on the calendar, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España, providing clear context around performance trends, tactics, and key storylines.
In his reporting, Fin uses reputable data sources such as ProCyclingStats for results, statistics, and historical context. He places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles promptly when new, verified information becomes available. Outside of writing, Fin is an active cyclist, which supports his practical understanding of the sport and its demands.
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MarkFour07-11-2026 - This is a really interesting idea, which, if well prepared could even be very successful. Very little money needs to be involved for a first season and any success could lead to rapid interest from sponsors.Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- Hmmm, you seem to have a very convenient black and white view of things. Perhaps you haven’t been around much to discover how complex problems can become over time with people who know how to control, manipulate (or worse) others so gradually or subtly that you arrive at an irresolvable situation before you realise. This is how many inconveniences get introduced to the young, naïve, passionate or “desperate”, knowing they are not armed, protected or strong enough to defend themselves once it’s too late. Why do you think omerta culture is so widespread, why do you think so many people continue to go through so many awful things in life that others can’t understand anyone getting into? Life may be far more jolly for you but you would do well to understand (or reflect more on) the real world to refrain from being so quick to criticise those in a hard spot that may have genuine reason for speaking out.Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
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