{"id":246205,"date":"2026-06-01T12:14:29","date_gmt":"2026-06-01T12:14:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/2026\/06\/01\/by-winning-the-giro-ditalia-jonas-vingegaard-has-had-his-strongest-tour-de-france-preparation-yet-but-we-still-have-no-idea-how-hell-compare-with-tadej-pogacar\/"},"modified":"2026-06-01T12:14:29","modified_gmt":"2026-06-01T12:14:29","slug":"by-winning-the-giro-ditalia-jonas-vingegaard-has-had-his-strongest-tour-de-france-preparation-yet-but-we-still-have-no-idea-how-hell-compare-with-tadej-pogacar","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/2026\/06\/01\/by-winning-the-giro-ditalia-jonas-vingegaard-has-had-his-strongest-tour-de-france-preparation-yet-but-we-still-have-no-idea-how-hell-compare-with-tadej-pogacar\/","title":{"rendered":"By winning the Giro d&#8217;Italia, Jonas Vingegaard has had his strongest Tour de France preparation yet \u2013 but we still have no idea how he&#8217;ll compare with Tadej Poga\u010dar"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><\/p>\n<div id=\"article-body\">\n<p id=\"elk-00b5bfcd-3ed0-443c-8911-7ed29d7844c9\">Jonas Vingegaard versus Tadej Poga\u010dar. The rivalry that has come to define Grand Tour racing, particularly the <a data-analytics-id=\"inline-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.cyclingnews.com\/tour-de-france\/\" data-url=\"https:\/\/www.cyclingnews.com\/tour-de-france\/\" data-hl-processed=\"none\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"inline-link\" data-before-rewrite-localise=\"https:\/\/www.cyclingnews.com\/tour-de-france\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Tour de France<\/a>, for the last half a decade.<\/p>\n<p>Even though the pair may only actually race each other in one or two races per year, one cannot do anything without the other&#8217;s name being invoked \u2013 or, perhaps more accurately,<a data-analytics-id=\"inline-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.cyclingnews.com\/riders\/jonas-vingegaard\/\" data-url=\"https:\/\/www.cyclingnews.com\/riders\/jonas-vingegaard\/\" data-hl-processed=\"none\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"inline-link\" data-before-rewrite-localise=\"https:\/\/www.cyclingnews.com\/riders\/jonas-vingegaard\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"> Vingegaard<\/a> cannot do anything without Poga\u010dar&#8217;s name being invoked.<\/p>\n<p><a id=\"elk-seasonal\"\/><\/p>\n<aside data-block-type=\"embed\" data-render-type=\"fte\" data-skip=\"dealsy\" data-widget-type=\"seasonal\" class=\"hawk-root\"\/>\n<p id=\"elk-00b5bfcd-3ed0-443c-8911-7ed29d7844c9-2\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">He wins five stages of the <a data-analytics-id=\"inline-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.cyclingnews.com\/giro-d-italia\/\" data-url=\"https:\/\/www.cyclingnews.com\/giro-d-italia\/\" data-hl-processed=\"none\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"inline-link\" data-before-rewrite-localise=\"https:\/\/www.cyclingnews.com\/giro-d-italia\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Giro d&#8217;Italia<\/a>, and we&#8217;re still talking about how Poga\u010dar won six. The Dane ticks off the Grand Tour triple, and it is seen not just through the lens of the achievement itself, but the fact that he did it before his perennial rival.<\/p>\n<div class=\"my-6 w-full overflow-hidden rounded-[10px] lg:my-8\" data-component-name=\"JwPlayer:Carousel\" data-jwp-carousel=\"\" data-jwp-carousel-payload=\"{&quot;ids&quot;:{&quot;playerID&quot;:&quot;jYDCcabO&quot;,&quot;searchPlaylistID&quot;:&quot;gwjdoYHD&quot;,&quot;divID&quot;:&quot;botr_gwjdoYHD_jYDCcabO_div&quot;,&quot;fallbackPlaylistID&quot;:&quot;gwjdoYHD&quot;,&quot;fallbackDivID&quot;:&quot;botr_gwjdoYHD_jYDCcabO_div&quot;,&quot;key&quot;:&quot;X9\\\/mXVGac0NphghLH9hZaqWA5d3dhAM\\\/Ih07grnEyMLjuO2E&quot;,&quot;tintLogo&quot;:true,&quot;useSearchPlaylist&quot;:false,&quot;enabled&quot;:true},&quot;signPostingEnabled&quot;:true,&quot;signPostingLinkEnabled&quot;:true,&quot;waitForAdLoad&quot;:false,&quot;hidePlayerOnDesktop&quot;:false,&quot;hidePlayerOnMobile&quot;:false,&quot;hidePlayerOnTablet&quot;:false}\">\n<div class=\"flex flex-nowrap items-center justify-between gap-3 bg-zinc-900 px-[14px] py-3\" data-jwp-carousel-header=\"\">\n<div class=\"flex min-w-0 shrink items-center\"><span class=\"inline-flex items-center gap-1.5 text-sm font-article-heading capitalize leading-5 text-white whitespace-nowrap\"><span class=\"jwp-carousel-title-mobile\"\/><span class=\"jwp-carousel-title-desktop\">Latest Videos From<\/span><span class=\"jwp-carousel-brand inline-flex items-center\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"aspect-video w-full min-h-[200px] lg:min-h-[330px] relative overflow-hidden bg-black\" data-jwp-carousel-container=\"\">\n<div class=\"absolute inset-0 size-full items-center justify-center bg-white\" data-jwp-carousel-fallback=\"\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" data-new-v2-image=\"true\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/flexiimages\/gmvwmhupgi1715762145.svg\" data-pin-media=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/flexiimages\/gmvwmhupgi1715762145.svg\" class=\"rounded-[var(--image--border-radius,0)] max-h-12 w-auto\"\/><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<aside data-component-name=\"Recirculation:ArticleRiver\" data-recirculation-type=\"inline\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"Trending Bar\" data-nosnippet=\"\" class=\"clear-both pt-2 pb-0 mb-4\">\n        <span class=\"&#10;            flex&#10;            after:content-[''] after:flex-1 after:ml-4 after:my-[0.7rem] after:border-t after:border-solid after:border-t-[#ccc]&#10;            before:content-[''] before:flex-1 before:mr-4 before:my-[0.7rem] before:border-t before:border-solid before:border-t-[#ccc]&#10;            font-article-heading pb-0 text-[length:var(--article-river-title--font-size,1em)] uppercase sm:text-[length:var(--article-river-title--font-size,0.875em)] font-bold&#10;        \"><br \/>\n            You may like<br \/>\n        <\/span><\/p>\n<\/aside>\n<p aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">Sometimes it does go the other way, and maybe there will be a mention of how Vingegaard never does this whilst Poga\u010dar racks up his Monument wins. But even then, the relationship dynamic is one-sided: Poga\u010dar is the benchmark, apparently in a league of his own, the example to which Vingegaard is always compared.<\/p>\n<p aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">In a lot of ways, that can seem utterly unfair, and you can tell that it&#8217;s something Vingegaard has little regard for, moving swiftly on from any mention of Poga\u010dar \u2013 like when he was constantly brought up during the Giro, despite not even being there. Equally, Poga\u010dar rarely engages in any attempts to pit the two against each other.<\/p>\n<p aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">And it&#8217;s not a form of animosity; in fact, it&#8217;s always felt like the opposite. The pair have always had immense respect for each other, get along better than most rivals, and seem pleased to have someone to constantly challenge their level. It&#8217;s because of this that neither feels compelled to join in on the endless comparison, respecting their own and each other&#8217;s achievements separately.<\/p>\n<p aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">As they should be, of course. It is enormous for Vingegaard to win the Giro d&#8217;Italia and join the small club of Grand Tour triple winners, and that should be celebrated in its own right.<\/p>\n<div id=\"slice-container-newsletterForm-articleInbodyContent-qeFZ2nfGqvkRWAVE3iq6qb\" class=\"slice-container newsletter-inbodyContent-slice newsletterForm-articleInbodyContent-qeFZ2nfGqvkRWAVE3iq6qb slice-container-newsletterForm\">\n<div data-hydrate=\"true\" class=\"newsletter-form__wrapper newsletter-form__wrapper--inbodyContent\">\n<div class=\"newsletter-form__container\">\n<section class=\"newsletter-form__top-bar\"\/>\n<section class=\"newsletter-form__main-section\">\n<p class=\"newsletter-form__strapline\">The latest race content, interviews, features, reviews and expert buying guides, direct to your inbox!<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p id=\"elk-0d556138-2c87-438d-9d51-62193d54a849\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">But with the Tour de France rapidly approaching, where the two are expected to do battle for the sixth consecutive time, it is impossible to extricate the two riders from each other for long. Vingegaard&#8217;s Giro victory is a success in itself, but it is also an important step on the way to the Tour. The question is, though, how much can it actually tell us about how he might compare to Poga\u010dar this time around?<\/p>\n<p><a id=\"elk-947b0a26-6d8f-47c4-91e9-570e2a7d5417\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\"\/><\/p>\n<h2 id=\"vingegaard-s-best-build-up-yet-3\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">Vingegaard&#8217;s best build-up yet<\/h2>\n<p id=\"elk-d7a2e2ac-d2a9-44a7-8777-4cafa9e5299e\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">Perhaps before we compare Vingegaard to Poga\u010dar for the millionth time, we should first compare Vingegaard to himself. And in that regard, Vingegaard has had one of his best Tour de France build-up periods yet.<\/p>\n<p aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">Taking on the Giro and the double for the first time in 2026, Vingegaard had a novel programme for the first half of this year, skipping many of the races he&#8217;d usually do to try a totally different shaped calendar as he tries to return to Poga\u010dar-beating levels.<\/p>\n<aside data-component-name=\"Recirculation:ArticleRiver\" data-recirculation-type=\"inline\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"Trending Bar\" data-nosnippet=\"\" class=\"clear-both pt-2 pb-0 mb-4\">\n        <span class=\"&#10;            flex&#10;            after:content-[''] after:flex-1 after:ml-4 after:my-[0.7rem] after:border-t after:border-solid after:border-t-[#ccc]&#10;            before:content-[''] before:flex-1 before:mr-4 before:my-[0.7rem] before:border-t before:border-solid before:border-t-[#ccc]&#10;            font-article-heading pb-0 text-[length:var(--article-river-title--font-size,1em)] uppercase sm:text-[length:var(--article-river-title--font-size,0.875em)] font-bold&#10;        \"><br \/>\n            What to read next<br \/>\n        <\/span><\/p>\n<\/aside>\n<p aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">Admittedly, the year did not start well, missing the UAE Tour because of <a data-analytics-id=\"inline-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.cyclingnews.com\/pro-cycling\/teams-riders\/jonas-vingegaard-crashes-in-training-after-being-tailed-by-amateur-rider-as-visma-urge-fans-to-give-riders-as-much-space-and-peace-as-possible\/\" data-url=\"https:\/\/www.cyclingnews.com\/pro-cycling\/teams-riders\/jonas-vingegaard-crashes-in-training-after-being-tailed-by-amateur-rider-as-visma-urge-fans-to-give-riders-as-much-space-and-peace-as-possible\/\" data-hl-processed=\"none\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"inline-link\" data-before-rewrite-localise=\"https:\/\/www.cyclingnews.com\/pro-cycling\/teams-riders\/jonas-vingegaard-crashes-in-training-after-being-tailed-by-amateur-rider-as-visma-urge-fans-to-give-riders-as-much-space-and-peace-as-possible\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">that controversial, fan-related crash<\/a>, but then he won both Paris-Nice and the Volta a Catalunya with relative ease, and of course trounced the Giro. And he did not go over his limit in Italy, did not spend more time than needed in the pink jersey or go for every stage win possible. He was clinical and measured, doing enough to win and not a whole lot more.<\/p>\n<p aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">With three GCs and nine individual wins under his belt, this is undeniably the best Tour build-up Vingegaard has ever had. Better than 2022, where he took a couple of wins before winning the Tour, and arguably better than 2023, when he won O Gran Cami\u00f1o, Itzulia Basque Country and the Dauphin\u00e9 before winning the Tour.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"van-image-figure inline-layout kiosq-b\" data-bordeaux-image-check=\"\" id=\"elk-cb033b43-1bca-4ded-abda-90d58d8a9265\" aria-hidden=\"true\">\n<div class=\"image-full-width-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"image-widthsetter\" style=\"max-width:3368px;\">\n<p class=\"vanilla-image-block\" style=\"padding-top:70.96%;\"> <picture data-new-v2-image=\"true\"><source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/vaZYefwwJeKFXtbsDcu5bb-1200-80.jpg.webp 1200w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/vaZYefwwJeKFXtbsDcu5bb-1024-80.jpg.webp 1024w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/vaZYefwwJeKFXtbsDcu5bb-970-80.jpg.webp 970w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/vaZYefwwJeKFXtbsDcu5bb-650-80.jpg.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/vaZYefwwJeKFXtbsDcu5bb-480-80.jpg.webp 480w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/vaZYefwwJeKFXtbsDcu5bb-320-80.jpg.webp 320w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 1000px) 970px, calc(100vw - 40px)\"\/><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"QUERALT, SPAIN - MARCH 28: Jonas Vingegaard of Denmark and Team Visma | Lease a Bike - Green Leader Jersey celebrates at finish line as stage winner during the 105th Volta a Catalunya 2026, Stage 6 a 158.2km stage from La Berga to Queralt 1133m \/ #UCIWT \/ on March 28, 2026 in Queralt, Spain. (Photo by Szymon Gruchalski\/Getty Images)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/vaZYefwwJeKFXtbsDcu5bb-1200-80.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/vaZYefwwJeKFXtbsDcu5bb-1024-80.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/vaZYefwwJeKFXtbsDcu5bb-970-80.jpg 970w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/vaZYefwwJeKFXtbsDcu5bb-650-80.jpg 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/vaZYefwwJeKFXtbsDcu5bb-480-80.jpg 480w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/vaZYefwwJeKFXtbsDcu5bb-320-80.jpg 320w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 1000px) 970px, calc(100vw - 40px)\" loading=\"lazy\" data-new-v2-image=\"true\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/vaZYefwwJeKFXtbsDcu5bb.jpg\" data-pin-media=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/vaZYefwwJeKFXtbsDcu5bb.jpg\" class=\"rounded-[var(--image--border-radius,0)] inline\"\/>\n<\/picture><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><figcaption itemprop=\"caption description\" class=\" inline-layout\"><span class=\"credit\" itemprop=\"copyrightHolder\">(Image credit: Getty Images)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p id=\"elk-a27b9988-c2dc-448d-8dfb-04bcab6ced10\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">And this year has obviously been better than 2024, where Vingegaard had an awful crash at Itzulia and still finished second overall at the Tour. Similarly, in 2025, his Tour prep was hampered by a crash and bout with concussion from Paris-Nice, and again he came second, not ever really on the level of Poga\u010dar. But the last time he had a Tour run-in this good, he won it.<\/p>\n<p aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">Physically, Vingegaard&#8217;s form right now cannot be faulted. He&#8217;s not injured, he seems healthy, and his shape was clearly a level above everyone else in Italy. You may argue that the level of competition was nowhere near what it will be in France, and whilst that&#8217;s true in some obvious ways, it doesn&#8217;t mean it was an asterisked win for Vingegaard. He beat former Grand Tour winners and very strong riders on very difficult climbs.<\/p>\n<p aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">When Poga\u010dar simply rides away, it&#8217;s dominance and unmatched ability, but when Vingegaard does it, it&#8217;s because his rivals aren&#8217;t good? That doesn&#8217;t seem to make much sense. Unless there were literally no other climbers in the race, I don&#8217;t think there&#8217;s any way to argue that Vingegaard isn&#8217;t on a very high level right now.<\/p>\n<p aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">But more importantly, Vingegaard seems to also be mentally in the zone. The impact of a so far unimpeded run-in to the Tour cannot be understated, and the Giro went as smoothly as it could have been. He seems calm, confident, and relaxed. At no point in the Giro did he have to stress, nor overexert himself or his team. He will likely come away from this race knowing that he won with still some more left to give. That&#8217;s a supremely good place to be in before the Tour.<\/p>\n<p><a id=\"elk-7fd71723-2a91-4398-9e35-ea7006cc07b0\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\"\/><\/p>\n<h2 id=\"what-does-it-mean-for-the-tour-de-france-3\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">What does it mean for the Tour de France?<\/h2>\n<p id=\"elk-605dd8b3-9bc4-4c92-923c-9b8437256ced\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">That is the big question. And the answer is contradictory. On one hand, it&#8217;s fair to say that it looks like Vingegaard is going to start this year&#8217;s Tour de France in better shape than he has for the last two, in a really strong place mentally and physically, with the confidence of knowing he has previously only got better in his second Grand Tour of the year. In isolation, the signs for Vingegaard are all fantastic.<\/p>\n<p aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">But on the other hand, what we know about how he may compare to Poga\u010dar is practically zero. Poga\u010dar has raced one stage race, the <a data-analytics-id=\"inline-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.cyclingnews.com\/tour-de-romandie\/\" data-url=\"https:\/\/www.cyclingnews.com\/tour-de-romandie\/\" data-hl-processed=\"none\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"inline-link\" data-before-rewrite-localise=\"https:\/\/www.cyclingnews.com\/tour-de-romandie\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Tour de Romandie<\/a>, with a much lower level of competition than Vingegaard faced at the Giro, and the two are yet to face each other this year. Those more adept at analysing climbing times and power data might be able to tell you more than me, but really, we have very little to go off.<\/p>\n<p aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">Therefore, I&#8217;m hesitant to join either school of thought right now. Some people will be out there saying yeah, Vingegaard won the Giro, but Poga\u010dar has blatantly been better the last two years, and shouldn&#8217;t be worried about not winning his fifth Tour this summer. Those on the other side will say Vingegaard&#8217;s achievement at the Giro is proof he&#8217;s at the top of his Grand Tour game, and ready to truly threaten Poga\u010dar in France. Either argument could be true.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"van-image-figure inline-layout kiosq-b\" data-bordeaux-image-check=\"\" id=\"elk-1d4b5ee7-935a-4024-b006-b4d0526615c2\" aria-hidden=\"true\">\n<div class=\"image-full-width-wrapper\">\n<div class=\"image-widthsetter\" style=\"max-width:1024px;\">\n<p class=\"vanilla-image-block\" style=\"padding-top:66.70%;\"> <picture data-new-v2-image=\"true\"><source type=\"image\/webp\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/WDutCXVnyfDrM6hzdFTLmW-1024-80.jpg.webp 1200w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/WDutCXVnyfDrM6hzdFTLmW-1024-80.jpg.webp 1024w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/WDutCXVnyfDrM6hzdFTLmW-970-80.jpg.webp 970w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/WDutCXVnyfDrM6hzdFTLmW-650-80.jpg.webp 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/WDutCXVnyfDrM6hzdFTLmW-480-80.jpg.webp 480w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/WDutCXVnyfDrM6hzdFTLmW-320-80.jpg.webp 320w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 1000px) 970px, calc(100vw - 40px)\"\/><img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"UAE Team Emirates - XRG team&amp;#039;s Slovenian rider Tadej Pogacar wearing the overall leader&amp;#039;s yellow jersey and Team Visma - Lease a bike team&amp;#039;s Danish rider Jonas Vingegaard wearing the best climber&amp;#039;s polka dot (dotted) jersey cycle in the final ascent of La Plagne during the 19th stage of the 112th edition of the Tour de France cycling race, 93.1 km between Albertville and La Plagne, in the French Alps, on July 25, 2025. The 19th stage of the Tour de France was shorted from its initial 129.9 km route, bypassing the Col des Saisies where an outbreak of nodular dermatitis in a herd of cattle was discovered, prompting organizers to modify the race route. (Photo by Marco BERTORELLO \/ AFP)\" srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/WDutCXVnyfDrM6hzdFTLmW-1024-80.jpg 1200w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/WDutCXVnyfDrM6hzdFTLmW-1024-80.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/WDutCXVnyfDrM6hzdFTLmW-970-80.jpg 970w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/WDutCXVnyfDrM6hzdFTLmW-650-80.jpg 650w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/WDutCXVnyfDrM6hzdFTLmW-480-80.jpg 480w, https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/WDutCXVnyfDrM6hzdFTLmW-320-80.jpg 320w\" sizes=\"(min-width: 1000px) 970px, calc(100vw - 40px)\" loading=\"lazy\" data-new-v2-image=\"true\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/WDutCXVnyfDrM6hzdFTLmW.jpg\" data-pin-media=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/WDutCXVnyfDrM6hzdFTLmW.jpg\" class=\"rounded-[var(--image--border-radius,0)] inline\"\/>\n<\/picture><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><figcaption itemprop=\"caption description\" class=\" inline-layout\"><span class=\"credit\" itemprop=\"copyrightHolder\">(Image credit: Getty Images)<\/span><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p id=\"elk-449ad9ff-e024-4cfe-b727-852964f36341\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">All we know is that Vingegaard is going better than he has for the last two years, and Poga\u010dar is also as dominant as ever. With only Poga\u010dar racing the Tour de Suisse between now and then, we&#8217;re unlikely to find out much more about either rider in the weeks before the Grand D\u00e9part in Barcelona.<\/p>\n<p aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">What I will predict, however, is that we are going to get a really good battle. This era-defining rivalry between Vingegaard and Poga\u010dar has actually been caveated on many occasions: Vingegaard&#8217;s Itzulia crash, Poga\u010dar&#8217;s wrist, various other factors \u2013 often, the pair have not come into the Tour on completely equal footing, and the results have reflected that.<\/p>\n<p aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">But this year, finally, it looks like we&#8217;re going to be treated to two riders, both at the top of their game, as unencumbered as possible. Only the French roads are going to tell us who is stronger this time around, but for now, we can look forward to an all-out fight between two greats.<\/p>\n<p aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\"><em><strong>The Giro action isn&#8217;t over! Subscribe to Cyclingnews for unlimited access to our <\/strong><\/em><a data-analytics-id=\"inline-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.cyclingnews.com\/giro-d-italia-women\/\" data-url=\"https:\/\/www.cyclingnews.com\/giro-d-italia-women\/\" data-hl-processed=\"none\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"inline-link\" data-before-rewrite-localise=\"https:\/\/www.cyclingnews.com\/giro-d-italia-women\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><em><strong>Giro d&#8217;Italia Women<\/strong><\/em><\/a><em><strong> coverage. Don&#8217;t miss any of the breaking news, reports, and analysis from one of the biggest women&#8217;s stage races of the season. <\/strong><\/em><a data-analytics-id=\"inline-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.cyclingnews.com\/subscription-paid\/?utm_source=Referral+link&amp;utm_medium=Website&amp;utm_campaign=GirW26\" target=\"_blank\" data-url=\"https:\/\/www.cyclingnews.com\/subscription-paid\/?utm_source=Referral+link&amp;utm_medium=Website&amp;utm_campaign=GirW26\" data-hl-processed=\"none\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"inline-link\" data-before-rewrite-localise=\"https:\/\/www.cyclingnews.com\/subscription-paid\/?utm_source=Referral+link&amp;utm_medium=Website&amp;utm_campaign=GirW26\" rel=\"noopener\"><u><em><strong>Find out more.<\/strong><\/em><\/u><\/a><em\/><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.cyclingnews.com\/pro-cycling\/teams-riders\/by-winning-the-giro-d-italia-jonas-vingegaard-has-had-his-strongest-tour-de-france-preparation-yet-but-we-still-have-no-idea-how-hell-compare-with-tadej-pogacar\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Jonas Vingegaard versus Tadej Poga\u010dar. The rivalry that has come to define Grand Tour racing, particularly the Tour de France, for the last half a decade. Even though the pair may only actually race each other in one or two races per year, one cannot do anything without the other&#8217;s name being invoked \u2013 or, [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":246206,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"tdm_status":"","tdm_grid_status":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[6804],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-246205","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-cycling"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/246205","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=246205"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/246205\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/246206"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=246205"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=246205"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=246205"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}