Jonas Vingegaard (Visma-Lease A Bike) has suggested that he faces a tougher array of rivals than ever before at the Tour de France, with Tadej Pogačar, Primož Roglič and Remco Evenepoel all set to line out this year. “That will make it harder to win it,” Vingegaard said.
The Danish rider was talking before O Gran Camiño, his first race of the 2023 season, a year in which he is aiming to become the first man to win three successive Tours since Chris Froome claimed the race in 2015, 2016 and 2017.
Vingegaard won a duel against Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates) in each of the past two seasons, but this year, the Dane has added former teammate Primoz Roglič (Bora-Hansgrohe), and Remco Evenepoel (Soudal-QuickStep) to his list of genuine rivals.
He recognised that the increased number of rivals would make attaining the Tour de France – “my number one goal of the season” – more complicated.
In his first press conference of the 2024 season, Vingegaard also told reporters that a decision about his Vuelta a España participation, where he took second last year, would not be made until after the Tour. He said that after a five-month gap in racing, he was “hungry” to start competing again.
Vingegaard also brushed aside the idea that Pogačar might suffer from less consistent form in the Tour after doing the Giro d’Italia. “I don’t know about that,” Vingegaard said.
“I expect him to be at his best in the Tour along with Primoz and Remco. It’s going to be a very nice fight there with them, and I’m looking forward to it.”
Vingegaard was also convinced that the increased number of potential contenders in July would make victory more complicated.
“For sure the competition will be harder than it’s ever been and for sure it will be harder as well to win it,” he said.
“Of course, we just have to look at ourselves and do the best possible preparation, get there in as good as possible shape and then we will hopefully win. And if someone else is stronger, then that’s how it is.”
Visma-Lease A Bike themselves will have various major changes to face in the 2024 season, starting with Roglič no longer being on their roster and continuing with the absence of Wout van Aert, who is riding the Giro rather than the Tour.
“It’s going to be very different now to race against Primoz, for the last five years we’ve been teammates, always standing together,” he said.
“Now we are on opposite teams, and both just have to fight for the win, so of…
Click Here to Read the Full Original Article at CyclingNews RSS Feed…