Nothing will come of nothing. It is an aphorism from the very first scene of King Lear but additionally relevant to the present, very reside Tour de France.
Jonas Vingegaard can’t merely do nothing and watch for Tadej Pogačar to maintain driving away. The Visma-Lease a Bike rider has to try to problem him, to take the battle to him, or it might be a Tour de France wasted. This is not the Giro d’Italia, the place UAE Workforce Emirates’ Pogačar may merely journey away – though he nonetheless is, to an extent – however as a substitute right here, on the best race of all, there is a rider near his stage who is ready to attempt to match him.
Visma-Lease a Bike’s plan labored on Sunday’s stage 15 to Plateau de Beille. Matteo Jorgenson pulled for the primary 20 minutes of the climb, dropped Vingegaard off, and it turned a duel between the Dane and Pogačar. The plan labored effectively, it simply turned out Pogačar was stronger – over a minute stronger.
“I by no means doubted in our plan,” Vingegaard mentioned post-stage to ITV Sport. “We had a superb plan and it’s been working for the final two years. We all know I may deal with numerous fatigue, and I may additionally right this moment, so yeah, I’m not dissatisfied and I don’t remorse something. We did the plan completely, and even higher than the plan. He was simply higher, that’s how it’s. Congrats.
“We talked about it [pre-race], Matteo needed to do a 15/20 minute effort from the underside, and that’s what he did. He did a greater effort than we spoke about, all the blokes did right this moment, the crew did tremendous, tremendous effectively. As I mentioned, I can’t be dissatisfied in any respect.”
It is attention-grabbing, this lack of disappointment. After all, one can solely do the perfect job attainable, however it nonetheless should be disheartening for Vingegaard that he can’t match the person he has bettered on the final two Excursions de France. The actual fact he’s right here in any respect, given the seriousness of the crash at Itzulia Basque Nation in April, is unimaginable, however this case should nonetheless be dispiriting.
On the Visma crew bus, the temper was low – understandably so – however Vingegaard and his crew conveyed a much less destructive frame of mind than this. There are nonetheless six days left, in fact, with 4 arduous GC days to complete the Tour. Nonetheless, 3:09 is an enormous margin to make up.
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“We have been coming to win the stage and to take again a while on GC, however it didn’t occur, and Pogačar took a while on Jonas,” Visma DS Grischa Niermann mentioned. “I’m tremendous happy with the crew, and Jonas did a brilliant good job, however we had an opponent who was even stronger, so chapeau to Tadej, chapeau to UAE. They’ve a superb margin now. We’ve to just accept that, and for the second we will solely be pleased and happy with the efficiency we put in.
“We are going to battle to the tip, completely,” he continued. “However proper now, everybody sees that Tadej is the strongest within the race.
“I’m not dissatisfied, as a result of the blokes did a brilliant, tremendous good job. The final two years it was the opposite means spherical, however for now Pogačar is the strongest rider right here. There’s nonetheless per week to go.”
The sensation is that Friday’s stage to Isola 2000 will go well with Vingegaard extra, with the lengthy Alpine climbs the Dane’s most popular habitat; the Cime de la Bonnette at 2,802m, particularly, might be a cheerful looking floor for him. Nonetheless, three minutes is numerous time to make up, particularly when Pogačar appears this good.
It must be famous that Vingegaard is up to now forward of everybody else on this race, bar his Slovenian nemesis. Over two minutes forward of Remco Evenepoel (Soudal Fast-Step), effectively over seven minutes away from João Almeida (UAE Workforce Emirates), in fourth. There’s only a Pogačar-shaped downside in the way in which of a 3rd yellow jersey, which might be the most miraculous.
Visma-Lease a Bike know now that they’ve the second-best rider within the race, it’s clear, however slightly completely different to the final two editions. How they deal with this within the Alps will likely be very completely different.
“We additionally raced for phases earlier than, the dream stays successful the Tour de France,” Niermann added.
“Jonas is in the perfect form he may hope for proper now, after the crash and restoration. It’s tremendous good, he takes numerous time on everybody else, however Tadej is healthier.”
Nothing will come of nothing. That has been, and must be Visma’s mantra now. It would simply be handbrake-off time for the Dutch squad.
