Vingegaard returns at Dauphiné, chasing a new high to beat Pogačar
Jonas Vingegaard is back. The Visma-Lease a Bike leader will race for the first time since March at the Critérium du Dauphiné this weekend, and he says he feels “like a completely different person” compared to last season. After a concussion sidelined him for nearly three months, the two-time Tour winner has rebuilt steadily and now sets his sights on reclaiming yellow from Tadej Pogačar.
“Last year, I still believed I could win, but this year feels totally different—my body reacts better to training, and I’m just stronger,” he told Eurosport from his Sierra Nevada altitude camp. His team believes he’s taken another step, but Vingegaard knows that to beat this version of Pogačar, he’ll need to surpass even his 2022 and 2023 levels.
“Everybody is raising their level, so I also need to be better than I was two years ago,” he said. It’s a clear-eyed assessment from the man who lost last year’s Tour by more than six minutes—and a nod to the mountain of work still ahead. But Vingegaard insists he enjoys the process: “I always enjoy doing the hard work for the Tour.”
The Dauphiné marks the first time he’ll line up against both Pogačar and Remco Evenepoel in 2025. “If I were racing without Tadej, it wouldn’t be the same,” he said. “Hopefully, he feels the same.” With Hautacam and Col de la Loze back on the Tour route in July, the rematch is set.
