Pros—they are not like us. We’ve posted many videos before to show the staggering differences between WorldTour pros and weekend warriors, but truly, it never gets old to see the difference.
Imagine you’re out for a nice little ride up a well-known climb in Spain, and you get passed by none other than two-time Tour de France winner Jonas Vingegaard. That was exactly the case for some locals on the weekend in Spain as they rode up the Coll de Rates.
The climb is a Category 2 ascent stretching 6.5 km with an average gradient of 5 per cent. Starting at 270 metres above sea level and finishing at 626 metres, riders gain a total of 356 metres in elevation. It’s a steady challenge, ideal for building rhythm without the brutal gradients of tougher climbs.
In fact, the climb holds some special significance for the Visma – Lease a Bike rider. Back in 2018, when riding for the Continental team ColoQuick CULT, Vingegaard broke the Strava record on an impressive day.
That performance caught the attention of the Dutch team, who signed him the following year. And just three years later, the Dane would win his first Tour de France.
Vingegaard had a solid 2024 after a brutal injury that cast his season in doubt. Despite weeks off the bike and missing several of the key lead-up races before the Tour, he still managed a more than respectable second behind Tadej Pogačar. The Dane began 2024 with impressive results, including a win at Tirreno-Adriatico and O Gran Camiño. In fact, in the latter, he swept all three classifications: the overall, points and mountains. But then disaster struck at the Itzulia Basque Country in April. He had a horrific crash which massively derailed his season.
It looks like Vingegaard’s preparation is coming along well—take a look as he dances on the pedals up this climb.
🚀 @VingegaardJonas pic.twitter.com/cGfIgHnXW0
— Team Visma | Lease a Bike (@vismaleaseabike) December 15, 2024
Click Here to Read the Full Original Article at Canadian Cycling Magazine…