“You have to look at this performance and say something’s up” – Armstrong, Wiggins, Hincapie question Vingegaard and Visma’s Tour de France performance
Cycling
Stage 5 of the 2025 Tour de France delivered a clear
message: Remco Evenepoel is not just here to compete, he’s here to win. His
time trial victory was as commanding as it was expected perhaps, and on The
Move podcast, Lance Armstrong, Bradley Wiggins, and George Hincapie gave the
performance its due.
“He showed us today why he is the champion he is,” Wiggins
said. “To execute a performance like that… from the third split to the finish,
the way he did… it was fantastic.”
Remco's ability to pull time back late in the stage, after
being down at earlier splits, impressed the group. His ride not only secured
the stage win but vaulted him into second overall on GC, just 42 seconds behind
Tadej Pogaar.
“He went off before the other GC guys… the weather had
changed a little bit… and he still finished strongest,” Wiggins pointed out,
and Hincapie agreed: “To pull it off with the whole world expecting you to win
is even more impressive.”
Kevin Vauquelin’s fifth-place finish and rise to third on GC
didn’t go unnoticed either. “This kid has been getting better and better,”
Armstrong said. “He’s not been seen as the next great French rider, but now
he’s third in the Tour… the team he chooses next is going to define his
trajectory.”
Still, much of the focus turned to the rider who lost the
most: two time Tour de France champion Jonas Vingegaard. The Dane was many
people’s favourite to wear the yellow jersey at the end of the stage, as he had
comfortably beaten Pogacar when the Slovenian struggled in the Dauphine’s time
trial. But, yesterday the tables were turned.
“He finished 13th on the stage… a minute and 21 behind. It
just never looked like he was having a great ride,” Armstrong said. “You have
to look at this performance and say something’s up.”
There was speculation that Vingegaard may be paying the
price for repeated high-intensity efforts earlier in the race. The day before,
on stage 4, the Dane said that he had achieved his best one minute power output
on the day’s final explosive climb. “That might have something to do with it,”
said Wiggins. “Perhaps the damage you do from those type of efforts… you’ve got
to ride 33–36 minutes on the threshold.”
The group also questioned whether Team Visma | Lease a Bike
would continue to back Vingegaard as sole leader.
“He’s on the back foot now… Matteo Jorgenson is right on his
heels,” Wiggins said. “Visma really have to think about a two-pronged attack.”
Armstrong echoed the point: “Matteo can climb. Matteo has
experience. Matteo is on the way up. They’re going to have to look at alternate
solutions now.”
Meanwhile, Pogacar again left little doubt about his form,
and incredibly was just 16 seconds behind Evenepoel in the time trial. “We’re
running out of superlatives for this guy,” Wiggins said. “It’s hard to see
anyone dislodging him over the next two and a half weeks.”
Looking ahead, Stage 6 was flagged as deceptively brutal,
with plenty of climbing and an excellent finish for the puncheurs. This could
be bad news for Vingegaard if he is still suffering, but good news for fans who
want to see Pogacar and Mathieu van der Poel battle again.
“You open it up… and think, ‘Oh lord,’” Armstrong said. “It
looks like a saw blade.”
There was debate over whether UAE would try to control the
race or let the breakaway go. “I’d be really surprised if they put UAE on the
front to control that,” Hincapie said. “But someone always steps forward…
someone always ends up working.”
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.
claps 13visitors 13
Just in
Popular news
Latest comments
- guess what Valgren, you're 34, and no you're not good enough. sorry to say.mij14-11-2026
- I'm a sepp fan and like to think he earned that LOL, indulge me : ) I think Jonas was fine. Roglic did not want to concede to Sepp. and I don't think you ever attack your own teammate in the leaders jersey if he is holding his own, which Sepp just about was.mij14-11-2026
- enough time? he's 24 years old. He's won 10 races over the last 2 years and some are significant. I won't argue about his attitude being good - it needs to improve. But with some coaching and mentorship he has a lot of winning ahead of him and has plenty of time to win a GT. I don't think he will ever beat Tadej, but everyone else is fair game Look at Mas and Valverde - they were 31 and 29, respectively, when they won the Vuelta.mij14-11-2026
- Pogacar has a fine head on his shoulders.Careful investments and a couple of coffee shops sounds like a wonderful way to chill after an intense career.Stay healthy GOAT.
Brucegel14-11-2026 - I live in Maribor.PogiSloFans14-11-2026
- I live in Ljubljana and often go on trips in the surrounding area, where I frequently see young cyclists in 'Pogi Team' jerseys training, either alone or in groups. By simply motivating so many young people to take up cycling, Tadej has already achieved something truly significant.Velijo14-11-2026
- That's an excellent point. It's interesting that Vader came to that realization only after he learned that his contract wasn't going to be renewed.
santiagobenites14-11-2026 - Indeed! A reluctant gift maybe. Even more reluctant gift from Roglic! Tho I can’t see that Rog would have beaten Ving anyway.Lozza14-11-2026
- That really nasty crash in 2022 Liege must have played a big part - broken ribs, pneumothorax. You only have to look at his points tallies pre and post.Lozza14-11-2026
- Yeah, good luck getting tv and race organisers like ASO etc to part with their cash!Lozza14-11-2026
Loading
6 Comments