There is no doubt that today's cycling sport largely revolves around two stars, Jonas Vingegaard (Team Visma | Lease a Bike) and Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates - XRG). The duel between the two greats both adds intrigue and embellishes the history of cycling.
Vingegaard and Pogačar have faced off as Tour de France favorites five times so far. The Visma | Lease a Bike rider has won two of them – in 2022 and 2023 – while the UAE Team Emirates – XRG rider has won three – in 2021, 2024 and 2025.
Fans often ask what would have happened if one of the two hadn't met the other? Vingegaard has a very clear answer to that. "Without Pogačar, I probably would have won five Grand Tours already. That would be nice, but it's also nice to race against him. He's a good guy and that kind of rivalry is nice. I could have won this year or last year. Also maybe in my first Grand Tour in 2021, but you never know for sure," Vingegaard said.
Vingegaard, who currently leads the Vuelta, insisted that he is not tired of the duels with Pogačar. "On the contrary, I think it motivates me because he is the best rider in the world today. If I want to win, I have to beat Pogačar. It gives me more motivation to improve," Vingegaard added.
If Vingegaard were to win this year's Vuelta, it would add a third Grand Tour title to his list of achievements. Then the next goal would be obvious - the Giro d'Italia, which he has never competed in before. "I have two Tour victories at the moment. If I win the Vuelta, I would have two of the three Grand Tours. It is very important for me to have all three Grand Tours to my name. So yes, I would like to go to the Giro," Vingegaard admitted.
