“Pogacar is better at the Tour of Flanders, but this is about a three-week race. Jonas is better at that” – Visma have full faith in Vingegaard ahead of 2025 Tour de France.

The 2025 Tour de France is once again shaping up to be a headline showdown between Tadej Pogacar and Jonas Vingegaard. While the two riders have taken markedly different paths to reach this year’s battle for the yellow jersey, Team Visma | Lease a Bike remains confident in Vingegaard, despite Pogacar’s dominant Spring campaign.

“You could argue Pogacar excels on races like the Tour of Flanders, but this is a three-week Grand Tour. From our perspective, Jonas is better equipped for that kind of challenge,” said Team Visma’s general manager Richard Plugge in an interview with Wielerflits. He emphasized Vingegaard’s superior ability to manage sustained fatigue over the course of the Tour.

Still, Pogacar is expected to line up as the favourite in 2025. The Slovenian has triumphed in the last two Grand Tours he entered, collecting 12 stage wins along the way, and has added Monument victories and a World Championship title to his accolades in recent seasons.

Plugge, however, remains undeterred, referencing Vingegaard’s struggles in the 2024 Tour as a result of his crash at the Itzulia Basque Country, which disrupted his build-up. “Last year, Jonas wasn’t at his best in the final week due to those circumstances,” Plugge explained. “I believe UAE Team Emirates-XRG has improved since the 2023 Combloux time trial, but so have we. Our focus is on ourselves and how we can continue to improve.”

He added, “Jonas has gained time on Pogacar two years running. Even last year, despite a rough start and tough finish, he was still a major threat. Jonas has made further strides, and I see no reason why we can’t fight for yellow again.”