Jonas Vingegaard has confirmed that he won’t solely be aiming for the Tour de France in 2025 however may also be participating within the Vuelta a España this season.
In an interview launched by Visma-Lease a Bike on the workforce media day in Spain, Vingegaard made it clear that he wouldn’t be participating within the Giro d’Italia, as had been repeatedly rumoured. His teammate Wout van Aert has already acknowledged that he shall be racing in Italy subsequent May and can co-lead the workforce there with Simon Yates.
After aiming for a 3rd victory Tour de France, Vingegaard will then head to Spain to try to go one higher within the Vuelta than his runner’s up spot in 2023 behind Visma-Lease a Bike teammate Sepp Kuss.
Should Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) decide to race the Vuelta as properly, Vingegaard’s determination will increase the thrilling prospect of biking’s two most profitable GC stars of this decade battling it out in two Grand Tours in a single yr for the primary time of their careers.
The Danish star additionally revealed the highest races from the early a part of his season, beginning with a contemporary try to win Paris-Nice and a debut on the Volta a Catalunya. In all these occasions, he stated, he’s decided to go for the win.
“In 2025, my largest aim will in fact be the Tour de France, to attempt to win it for the third time. Then within the spring, I’ll do Paris-Nice, Catalunya after which additionally in a while the Vuelta a España,” Vingegaard stated within the workforce interview. He later revealed his season debut would be the Volta ao Algarve, together with his key warm-up race for the Tour de France on the Critérium du Dauphiné. The World Championships can also be provisionally on his schedule.
“I’m actually motivated for all of those races. I’ve not received Paris-Nice but, I used to be there two years in the past however could not win. But in fact, I’m keen to return again and go for the victory.
The newest race content material, interviews, options, opinions and professional shopping for guides, direct to your inbox!
“Also in Catalunya, I need to go for the victory. I’ve by no means completed it earlier than however I’m very glad to be there at the beginning line. And the Vuelta – it is a particular race, one of many largest on this planet. I’ve all the time been watching it on TV and I might like to win it as properly.”
Vingegaard’s high precedence, although, will logically be the Tour de France, the place he’ll be in search of to repeat his victories of 2023 and 2022. In the method, he should beat 2024 outright favorite Tadej Pogačar.
“To come again to the Tour de France – for me it is the race meaning essentially the most. It’s the largest race of the yr, there’s something particular about it,” Vingegaard stated.
“That’s what I most stay up for – and likewise to attempt to go for the win once more and be there at the beginning, with the very best preparation and in the very best form.”
Vingegaard won’t subsequently be participating within the Itzulia, the race which noticed him crash badly on stage 4 and virtually abandon his profession as a a results of his horrible accidents.
In his solely earlier participation in Paris-Nice in 2023, he completed third total behind Pogačar and David Gaudu (Groupama-FDJ). However, final yr he had a notable triumph in Tirreno-Adriatico, which runs parallel in March with the French week-long stage race, which bodes properly for his probabilities this spring.
“To be trustworthy, 2024 was a little bit of a loopy yr, it began super-well with victories in Gran Camino and in Tirreno, I used to be stronger than ever been earlier than,” he recollected.
“Then in fact I had the nasty crash in Basque and it was a giant setback and it took me a very long time to get again. To be trustworthy, I believe it was rather a lot worse than folks know,” he argued.
“So that I used to be truly capable of make it to the Tour was a victory in itself. I’m very pleased with doing that, and I used to be very glad I used to be there.”
“Everything after that was a bonus, so to be second within the Tour and to win a stage was actually unbelievable for me, I’m actually proud of that.”
“I additionally went on to win the Tour de Pologne in a while. It’s additionally an excellent race and that is one thing [winning it] that I ought to have completed 5 years in the past” – a reference to the 2019 race when Vingegaard claimed a stage in Pologne, his first professional victory, however was knocked out of the chief’s spot by Pavel Sivakov on the final day.
However, the principle takeaways from 2024 for Vingegaard have been extra about understanding that he has the bodily capability and character to struggle again after huge setbacks like his horrible accident in April.
“I discovered that with much less good preparation, I can nonetheless carry out properly,” Vinegegaard stated.
“I additionally discovered if I hadn’t crashed, I might have had higher preparation [for the Tour] and hopefully additionally I might have been higher [in terms of results].”
“You cannot say something concerning the [definitive] final result, however not less than I do know for certain that I can do higher than final yr.”