"You could easily say Jonas should have tried a bit earlier" – Visma and Vingegaard narrowly miss out on Tour de France stage win

Jonas Vingegaard came heartbreakingly close to a stage win on Stage 19 of the 2025 Tour de France but had to settle for second behind Thymen Arensman, but ahead of Tadej Pogacar for the first time this Tour. Despite finishing ahead of Pogacar on the day, Vingegaard remains in second overall as the race nears its end. The Danish rider’s late sprint may have cost him the win, and there’s a lingering sense that with slightly different tactics, the outcome might have changed. Team boss Grischa Niermann admitted that the timing just wasn’t quite right in an interview with TV2.

"We knew Tadej also wanted to win and that UAE would keep the leading group at bay. On the last climb, we knew there was no point in attacking early, because we wanted to go for the stage win with Jonas."

"He came very close, but in the end, he and Tadej started their sprint a bit too late," Niermann said, noting encouraging signs nonetheless. "That he was very strong again. Tadej tried a few times at the foot of the last climb, where he tried to drop everyone, but Jonas was there and was able to join his wheel."

"He did well, and he was able to save himself a bit by staying on the wheel. He rode really well, but in the end, they couldn't catch Arensman, and he didn't win the stage," he continued. "Maybe they could have caught Arensman if Jonas had attacked earlier, but then Tadej might have been on his wheel and could have won the sprint."

"You could easily say Jonas should have tried a bit earlier, but there's a good chance Pogacar would have been on his wheel and passed him in the final meters," the sporting director added. When asked how Vingegaard managed to finish ahead of Pogacar, the first time he has done so since the sprint finish in the 2024 Tour, Niermann didn’t have a clear answer.

"I don't know. You'll have to ask him – and especially Tadej. Tadej had to work hard on the last climb, and that was obviously to our advantage."

Vingegaard himself admitted that his priority was the stage victory. "Of course it's a shame. I tried to play my game on the last climb, and I was more focused on the stage win than gaining time," he said. "It's a shame Thymen Arensman was there, of course. But he rode hard today."