The Tour de France rivalry between Tadej Pogačar and Jonas Vingegaard would possibly go down in historical past because the closest of all time – not measured in a single 12 months, however throughout the 4 editions they’ve battled as the highest two riders.
Cyclingnews regarded on the time gaps throughout 84 levels of racing between the beginning of the 2021 Tour de France and the tip of this 12 months’s version in Nice and found simply how equally matched the 2 riders are.
Overall Tour de France wins
Pogačar, regardless of being the youthful of the 2, has raced yet another Tour de France than Vingegaard and received in his debut season in 2020, beating Primož Roglič because of his efficiency within the time trial up La Planche des Belles Filles.
With his victory within the 2024 Tour de France, Pogačar has three total wins to Vingegaard’s two.
However, relating to face-to-face conferences on the Tour de France, the 2 riders are tied as a result of Vingegaard didn’t race the Tour in 2020.
Verdict: Pogačar by 1
2021-2024 Tour de France complete time hole
Over 4 years of racing – 328.5 hours, 13667.1 kilometres, Pogačar has a lead of 1 minute and 25 seconds – a median of simply over one second per stage. How loopy is that?
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Pogačar had a powerful lead within the mixed Tours till stage 17 of the 2023 version when he famously cracked on the Col de la Loze, calling again to his staff automotive to announce, “I’m gone, I’m useless”.
Although he rallied as greatest he may earlier than the end in Courchevel, Pogačar gave up 5:47 to Vingegaard on that day and misplaced all hopes of profitable the Tour that 12 months. Pogačar lastly misplaced the collected benefit he loved on that day.
However, in case you consider that Vingegaard sat up on the ultimate stage in 2022 and gave up 51 seconds, Pogačar had already dropped behind the Dane, having misplaced 1:38 within the time trial the day.
This 12 months, it took Pogačar till stage 19 to show round his deficit to the Dane within the cumulative four-year Tour elapsed time – a giant shock contemplating Vingegaard almost did not begin the Tour de France after struggling a heavy crash throughout the Itzulia Basque Country.
Had Vingegaard not sat up on that last day in 2022, Pogačar’s lead can be simply 34 seconds, making the comparability even nearer.
Verdict: Pogačar sooner over 4 years
2021-2024 Tour de France complete time hole minus time bonuses
Looking over the previous 4 Tours de France, a lot of the distinction has come right down to the time bonuses given on the stage finishes and the occasional intermediate bonification.
Vingegaard comes out on high with a complete elapsed time of 328:28:02. However, Pogačar has an insatiable urge for food for victory and hoovered up 3:19 price of time bonuses to Vingegaard’s 1:51.
If the time bonuses are taken out of the equation, the distinction between the 2 riders drops considerably to only three seconds! Now, issue within the 51 seconds Vingegaard gave up when he sat as much as have a good time on the Champs Élysées, which swings the stability in his favour by 54 seconds.
Verdict: Vingegaard by 3 seconds
Tour de France stage wins
Tadej Pogačar has 5 Tours de France to Vingegaard’s 4 however has amassed a a lot bigger variety of stage victories because of his aggressive fashion of racing, taking residence 17 levels since his debut in 2020. The Slovenian received three levels in every of his first three Tours, two in 2023 when he was getting back from a damaged wrist, and a whopping six levels this 12 months.
Vingegaard has raced way more conservatively within the Tour de France taking solely 4 profession stage wins. He received a single stage this 12 months by out-sprinting Pogačar at Le Llorian, one in 2023 within the sole particular person time trial, and two in 2022 on the Col du Granon and Hautacam levels.
Verdict: Pogačar by 13
Days within the maillot jaune
With 5 Tours de France accomplished and three total wins, Pogačar has the bounce on Vingegaard by way of days in yellow. However, one has to do not forget that in 2021, Vingegaard was racing as a domestique for Primož Roglič and solely focused the rostrum after Roglič crashed on stage 3 and struggled within the first mountain levels earlier than dropping out on stage 9.
Vingegaard began his maillot jaune run on stage 11 of the 2022 Tour de France and took over the lead in 2023 on stage 6 and held it to the end.
In comparability, Pogačar solely moved into yellow on stage 20 of his first Tour and led from stage 8 in 2021. He spent 5 levels within the maillot jaune in 2022 earlier than dropping behind Vingegaard on the Col du Granon on stage 11. Pogačar did not put on the maillot jaune in 2023 however spent the race in the perfect younger rider’s jersey.
Verdict: Pogačar by 13 days
Tour de France Time Trials
Pogačar and Vingegaard have confronted off in opposition to one another in particular person time trials seven instances throughout the previous 4 Tours de France, and the Slovenian received 4 of them. His largest margin was this 12 months’s last stage in Nice, the place he received by 63 seconds over his Danish rival however their earlier conferences have been both very shut or, within the case of final 12 months’s stage 16 check, a blow-out of 1:38.
The distinction between the 2 is as small within the Tour time trials as within the total classifications – simply eight seconds in Vingegaard’s favour over 193.3 kilometres of particular person time trials.
Verdict: Vingegaard by a nostril
- 2021 stage 5: Pogačar beat Vingegaard by 27 seconds over 27.2km
- 2021 stage 20: Vingegaard beat Pogačar by 25 seconds over 30.8km
- 2022 stage 1: Pogačar over Vingegaard by 8 seconds over 13.2km
- 2022 stage 20: Vingegaard over Pogačar by 8 seconds over 40.7km
- 2023 stage 16: Vingegaard over Pogačar by 98 seconds over 22.4km
- 2024 stage 7: Pogačar over Vingegaard by 25 seconds over 25.3km
- 2024 stage 21: Pogačar over Vingegaard by 63 seconds over 33.7km