While the Tour de France is at rest, the Dane Jonas Vingegaard, second in the general classification behind the Slovenian Tadej Pogacar, stressed on Monday July 15 that he was not going to ” not to surrender ” without fighting.
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The dolphin of Tadej Pogacar has no intention of giving up. After two weeks of racing, Vingegaard is 3:09 behind the Slovenian. This stage race specialist has had a very complicated year with a fall during the 4th stage of the Tour of the Basque Country in April. Hospitalized, he suffered several fractures and a pulmonary contusion. The Tour de France is simply his comeback race.
” I think victory is still possible. I’m not going to give up without a fight, I’ve won the Tour de France twice and I’m not going to settle for second place. I’m going to give it my all “,he said at a press conference.
” If I can improve a little bit, we’ll be even. »
Vingegaard claims not to have perdu faith and not crack mentally. While he believes that Pogacar looks very strong, he also does not forget that the Slovenian could have a day without.
” It’s not like he’s that much above me either. If I can improve a little bit, we’ll be even. “, hopes the double outgoing winner. ” I’m really proud of what I’m doing on this Tour, especially after the three months I’ve had, with such serious injuries and twelve days in hospital. Tadej is just stronger, for now. »
Pogacar on the road to the Giro-Tour de France double?
The end of the Tour, very mountainous, raises a question. Friday July 19, the peloton will climb very high for the queen stage with the Col de Vars, the Cime de la Bonnette (2802 m) and Isola 2000 on the program, altitudes where Pogacar has suffered in the past. Saturday, the stage towards the Col de la Couillole is also terrible and the demanding final time trial between Monaco and Nice recalls that of Combloux where Vingegaard had blown Pogacar away last year.
Having won the Giro d’Italia in May, will Pogacar be able to win the Giro and the Tour de France in the same year, like Marco Pantani in 1998? In any case, Vingegaard intends to be the pebble in the Slovenian’s shoe.