A duel thrives on contrasts. As riders, Tadej Pogačar and Jonas Vingegaard most likely have extra in frequent than both man would admit, however the longer the pair outline this period of the Tour de France, the extra their rivalry has come to be outlined by their variations.
As with McEnroe and Borg or Senna and Prost, the thought has taken maintain that Pogačar and Vingegaard signify two very totally different modes of decoding their sport. On a superficial degree, it helps that Pogačar’s smiling exuberance contrasts so readily with Vingegaard’s extra reserved detachment.
The differing ambiences round their staff buses – heat handshakes amongst employees at UAE Crew Emirates, cautious fist bumps over at Visma-Lease a Bike – solely underscores that preliminary impression.
Even their shaving habits have been seized upon as some extent of divergence. “I can’t develop a moustache, so no,” Pogačar smiled when requested if he would copy Vingegaard’s new facial hair.
The distinction of their tactical approaches to this Tour, in the meantime, was illustrated clearly on the chemins blancs round Troyes on stage 9, when Vingegaard’s rigorously calibrated determination to not collaborate with Pogačar’s assaults was met with frustration from the maillot jaune. It served to intensify the caricatures of every man that exist within the standard creativeness. Right here was Pogačar, the impulsive risk-taker, at all times racing for the hell of it. There was Vingegaard, sober of judgement, at all times racing with a thought to tomorrow.
In fact, every man was merely intent on using the stage in the way in which that greatest suited his capabilities on the day. Pogačar has a penchant for successful races on gravel, whereas Vingegaard was understandably cautious about his prospects, particularly after his truncated build-up. As Philippa York identified on this website, there may be no onus on Vingegaard to begin racing on this Tour till he feels himself prepared to take action.
Even so, the notion continues to linger that Pogačar and Vingegaard signify two totally different tactical ‘colleges’ of biking. If Pogačar’s forcing on the gravel was biking’s equal of Pep Guardiola’s excessive press, so the considering went, then Vingegaard was ‘parking the bus’ within the method of José Mourinho. The controversy lingered on Monday’s relaxation day – “It wasn’t a scarcity of ‘balls,’ I simply rode good,” Vingegaard stated – although Pogačar confessed to having uninterested in the entire matter when he reported for the beginning of stage 10 in Orléans on Tuesday.
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“About this racing clever or not, it is simply nonsense in biking,” Pogačar stated. “Proper now, I am within the chief’s jersey. For me, it is clever to be within the lead now with hole. Within the Tour de France, intelligence is essential, however it’s good to have the most effective legs to win.”
Third week
UAE Crew Emirates sports activities supervisor Matxin Joxean Fernandez, in the meantime, was reluctant to delve too deeply into the whys and wherefores of Visma-Lease a Bike’s technique. Within the Tour, like in any race, every squad races as they see match, no extra and no much less.
“You may solely actually discuss what you do your self. I haven’t got all the knowledge, so I can not actually give a stable opinion,” Matxin instructed Cyclingnews in Orléans. “I do not know why they did it, however I’ve the utmost of respect for our rivals and I am not going to criticise them.
“All people is free to do what they wish to handle their power and restrict their weaknesses on any stage. Maybe on this case, they had been simply seeking to minimise their doable weaknesses on terrain that did not go well with them – however that is simply an opinion as I haven’t got all of the details about their considering.”
There have been query marks about Vingegaard’s readiness for this Tour given the intense accidents he sustained within the mass crash at Itzulia Basque Nation in April, however the two-time champion has been stable so far, approaching the halfway level in third place, simply 1:15 off Pogačar’s yellow jersey.
In his relaxation day press convention, Pogačar dismissed the concept he was frightened of Vingegaard’s situation, happening to warn Visma off “attempting to interrupt him mentally.” The occasional thoughts recreation, Matxin conceded, is all a part of attempting to win the Tour.
“The psychological facet is clearly essential too, riders ship messages to their rivals,” Matxin stated. “However what’s clear at this level is that Tadej may be very robust, he is in higher situation than he was on the Giro, so we’re simply targeted on doing in addition to we will with Tadej and the staff. If the others are higher or worse than beforehand, we’ll see as time goes by. You do not win the Tour together with your phrases, you win it together with your legs.”
Final 12 months, Vingegaard outlasted Pogačar within the third week of the Tour to say a powerful total victory, and Visma-Lease a Bike once more seem like basing their technique on the Dane’s powers of endurance. The thought, it appears, is to remain within the hunt till the Tour’s closing act within the Alps and that novel concluding time trial in Good.
Matxin disagreed with the concept Pogačar had any form of complicated about Vingegaard’s third-week prowess. Pogačar, in any case, upset Jumbo-Visma late within the 2020 version, when he divested Primoz Roglič of the yellow jersey on the penultimate day.
“Tadej received the 2020 Tour on his personal benefit, and he received the 2021 Tour on his personal benefit,” Matxin stated. “The 2022 Tour was misplaced due to one unhealthy day for Tadej, so we misplaced it. In 2023, they [Visma] received it, they received it within the time trial. Now in 2024, we have gained time within the time trial reasonably than dropping it. We all know issues can all change daily, however I can inform you that Tadej is stable, he is calm.”
Puy Mary and Pyrenees
Pogačar actually loved a peaceful afternoon on Tuesday when the Tour resumed after the primary relaxation day, ending safely in the primary peloton to keep up his 33-second lead over Remco Evenepoel. When he took a seat within the press convention truck, he acknowledged that Wednesday’s trek by means of the Massif Central to Le Lioran could be reasonably extra eventful.
“They made it a bit too lengthy, however the closing of the stage may be very good and explosive, with good climbs,” Pogačar stated. “It is actually onerous to foretell what is going on to occur tomorrow.”
The one certainty is that Vingegaard and Pogačar will watch one another carefully from the climb of Puy Mary onwards. Whereas Vingegaard’s true situation was a thriller forward of this race, Pogačar feels the Dane has by now supplied a agency indication of his degree.
“Yeah, I’ve a reasonably good, robust sense, and I may also see my very own numbers,” stated Pogačar. “To date, we went tremendous quick within the time trial, we had been 20 seconds sooner than the file on San Luca and we additionally went file time on the Galibier. He is in fairly good condition, so for positive he is getting extra assured for the ultimate half. However we’ll see within the Pyrenees how robust he actually is.”
On each Tour, in different phrases, there comes some extent when the speaking stops.
