Some bold words from Visma – Lease a Bike’s Jonas Vingegaard. But then again, he is a multiple Grand Tour winner. But he is already looking beyond the Giro d’Italia and setting his sights on reclaiming the Tour de France this summer. The Dane believes the pendulum can swing back in his favour.
Speaking to TV 2 Sport, the 29-year-old pointed to his ongoing rivalry with Tadej Pogačar as a back-and-forth battle. One that, in his view, is due another shift.
“It hasn’t been the same rider winning every year,” Vingegaard said. “We’ve taken turns a bit. He’s won the last two, so now it should be my turn.”
The Dane will attempt a demanding Giro–Tour double in 2026, heading first to Italy with outright ambitions. He told TV 2 that his goal is not just to compete, but to win the Giro, which would be a first in his career. It would also complete the triple of winning each Grand Tour.
A solid 2026 thus far
He’s doing well this year, that is clear. Vingegaard has every reason to feel strong heading into the Giro. It follows a strong early season that included overall victories at Paris-Nice and the Volta a Catalunya. Not only that, he took a bunch of stage wins. After a recent altitude camp, he said he’s closing in on the condition he wants ahead of the Giro’s May start.
If that form carries through, the Tour could set up another chapter in cycling’s defining rivalry—one Vingegaard clearly believes is far from settled.
A proper Pogi-Vingegaard duel would be great. It’s been a while since they’ve truly duelled at full strength, due to crashes derailing both of their seasons.
The bigger question is, apart from Red Bull – BORA – hansgrohe’s Remco Evenepoel, will we see another challenger in French prodigy Paul Seixas? Will Decathlon CMA CGM Team dare to race him in his first Grand Tour, and not only that, but the biggest one? He clearly is the next big thing–and it’s been a while since France has had someone who seems destined to finally take back their home Tour. The last one was La Vie Claire’s Bernard Hinault, over 40 years ago. The question is, is 19 too young to throw him into the den of les lions?
First up, Liège-Bastogne-Liège awaits–where he will once again face the world champ. The French rider did well to win Flèche Wallonne, but LBL is a totally different story. Either way, fans all over the world are here for this duel, and maybe more to come.
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