Jonas Vingegaard says there is no ambiguity about his ambitions for La Vuelta a España: he wants to win.
The Dane, already a two-time Tour de France champion, will lead Team Visma | Lease a Bike into the season’s final Grand Tour, backed by a squad that blends proven winners and all-around support.
“I’m looking forward to this Tour of Spain,” Vingegaard said ahead of Saturday’s start in Turin. “After the Tour, I first took some rest and then started my preparations for this next main goal of my season. In recent weeks, I’ve been on an individual training camp, with support from the team on site.”
The Vuelta is a race Vingegaard knows well. “I rode my first Grand Tour here in 2020. Which we won with Primož Roglič. In 2023, we completed our trilogy here and even stood together on the final podium in Madrid. Hopefully, we can add some more great memories this year.”
Visma’s Grischa Niermann made the team’s objectives clear. “The overall win is our big goal, there’s no need to be coy about that,” he said. “Jonas is our leader and our biggest chance for the overall victory. But with Sepp Kuss, we have a former winner at the start. And Matteo Jorgenson has recovered well after the Tour de France. Together with Wilco Kelderman, Ben Tulett, Victor Campenaerts, Dylan van Baarle, and Axel Zingle, we have a team that can support Jonas in every situation.”
The race features five mountain stages and 10 hilly days. There are also a couple of time trials. For Vingegaard, the focus is simple: “I’m here for the overall win, and with this team supporting me, that seems like a realistic goal. I’m ready and would prefer to start racing right away.”
One of the other big favourites for the Vuelta is Osgoode, Ont.’s Derek Gee. The Israel – Premier Tech, like Vingegaard, is riding his second Grand Tour of the year. Earlier this year, Gee just missed the podium at the Giro d’Italia.
You can watch the race on Flobikes.com. After every stage, check back here on Canadian Cycling Magazine for a full report.
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