Tour de France: Clash of styles as odd couple duel for title again
By Damian McCALL
Tadej Pogacar and his great rival Jonas Vingegaard have won the past five editions of the Tour de France between them, and the chalk and cheese duo top the bill again at the 2025 Tour which starts on Saturday.
Here AFP takes a look at the strengths and weaknesses which could prove crucial in what should be another crowd-pleasing, see-saw struggle.
Pogacar
Ammunition box
The opening 10 days of the 2025 route revisit the scene of the swashbuckling Slovenian's second triumph as it meanders along the narrow winding roads of Normandy and Brittany.
That opening section must be survived. "Something will happen to somebody, it always does here," 2018 champion Geraint Thomas said at the time, and it ended up being the Welshman himself who fell foul of the section.
Pogacar has shown in the big one-day races he can handle all types of terrain.
Pogacar possesses an acceleration that will always lift him clear in a two-up tussle for bonus seconds at the finish line, a knack that appears to irk Vingegaard.
With 99 wins to his name, the Slovenian boy who grew up always wanting to beat his elder brother will also be out to annoy the Dane as often as possible on this Tour.
The 26-year-old Pogacar loves to be in the forefront of the action and often rides near the head of the pack, avoiding crashes and splits and affording himself opportunities for his sudden and sometimes devastating attacks.
Achilles heel
It's hard to pinpoint a major Pogacar weakness, but performing in intense heat would be one of them.
A second, only when comparing Pogacar to his nemesis, would be a stage with four or five big mountains.
When the sun shines down and the slopes rise up at the same time, as they have done twice in Vingegaard's favor, Pogacar has a potential meltdown in him.
Vingegaard
Ammunition box
One clear and gigantic advantage Vingegaard has, can often be seen riding right in front of him, also in a Visma shirt.
"Possibly the best rider in the world", is how the Dane describes team-mate Wout van Aert.
The Belgian powerhouse is too big to win in the steepest mountains, but he can make the difference on a stage, as he proved at the Giro this season, pulling Simon Yates three minutes clear of his rivals over a 10km stretch between peaks, before dropping back as the Briton rode on to bury his bogeymen with the title winning performance.
Patience and strategy are strengths Vingegaard and his Visma team bank on, plotting a careful analysis of the route to define where and when their man can attack Pogacar.
Two prime examples from 2023: Vingegaard's moves on the downhill section of the mountainous time-trial and on the last mountain the following day. Pogacar had no answer.
Despite his upbringing on a windswept stretch of Nordic coastline, Vingeagaard, unlike Pogacar, thrives as the mercury tips above 30C, and the long-range forecast for July suggests that particular star may shine on the slightly-built former fish-factory worker.
The Dane is a downhill daredevil and descends better than his rival, he proved this for his first win when Pogacar was so stunned to see Vingegaard shoot past him he fell at the next corner. Famously Vingegaard then waited for Pogacar to remount and catch up, and the pair rode on together.
Achilles heel
Vingegaard generally likes to know exactly what he is doing and why, and prepares meticulously from the moment the Tour route is announced.
When Montmartre was added to the Tour route he was shocked. "It'll be stressful, it's not a good idea," he said on learning the news.
Those kinds of seeds of doubt can drain his energy more than his more spontaneous rival.
© 2025 AFP
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Japan Today
11 hours ago
- Japan Today
Tour de France: Clash of styles as odd couple duel for title again
cycling By Damian McCALL Tadej Pogacar and his great rival Jonas Vingegaard have won the past five editions of the Tour de France between them, and the chalk and cheese duo top the bill again at the 2025 Tour which starts on Saturday. Here AFP takes a look at the strengths and weaknesses which could prove crucial in what should be another crowd-pleasing, see-saw struggle. Pogacar Ammunition box The opening 10 days of the 2025 route revisit the scene of the swashbuckling Slovenian's second triumph as it meanders along the narrow winding roads of Normandy and Brittany. That opening section must be survived. "Something will happen to somebody, it always does here," 2018 champion Geraint Thomas said at the time, and it ended up being the Welshman himself who fell foul of the section. Pogacar has shown in the big one-day races he can handle all types of terrain. Pogacar possesses an acceleration that will always lift him clear in a two-up tussle for bonus seconds at the finish line, a knack that appears to irk Vingegaard. With 99 wins to his name, the Slovenian boy who grew up always wanting to beat his elder brother will also be out to annoy the Dane as often as possible on this Tour. The 26-year-old Pogacar loves to be in the forefront of the action and often rides near the head of the pack, avoiding crashes and splits and affording himself opportunities for his sudden and sometimes devastating attacks. Achilles heel It's hard to pinpoint a major Pogacar weakness, but performing in intense heat would be one of them. A second, only when comparing Pogacar to his nemesis, would be a stage with four or five big mountains. When the sun shines down and the slopes rise up at the same time, as they have done twice in Vingegaard's favor, Pogacar has a potential meltdown in him. Vingegaard Ammunition box One clear and gigantic advantage Vingegaard has, can often be seen riding right in front of him, also in a Visma shirt. "Possibly the best rider in the world", is how the Dane describes team-mate Wout van Aert. The Belgian powerhouse is too big to win in the steepest mountains, but he can make the difference on a stage, as he proved at the Giro this season, pulling Simon Yates three minutes clear of his rivals over a 10km stretch between peaks, before dropping back as the Briton rode on to bury his bogeymen with the title winning performance. Patience and strategy are strengths Vingegaard and his Visma team bank on, plotting a careful analysis of the route to define where and when their man can attack Pogacar. Two prime examples from 2023: Vingegaard's moves on the downhill section of the mountainous time-trial and on the last mountain the following day. Pogacar had no answer. Despite his upbringing on a windswept stretch of Nordic coastline, Vingeagaard, unlike Pogacar, thrives as the mercury tips above 30C, and the long-range forecast for July suggests that particular star may shine on the slightly-built former fish-factory worker. The Dane is a downhill daredevil and descends better than his rival, he proved this for his first win when Pogacar was so stunned to see Vingegaard shoot past him he fell at the next corner. Famously Vingegaard then waited for Pogacar to remount and catch up, and the pair rode on together. Achilles heel Vingegaard generally likes to know exactly what he is doing and why, and prepares meticulously from the moment the Tour route is announced. When Montmartre was added to the Tour route he was shocked. "It'll be stressful, it's not a good idea," he said on learning the news. Those kinds of seeds of doubt can drain his energy more than his more spontaneous rival. © 2025 AFP
Japan Times
a day ago
- Japan Times
Tadej Pogacar expresses respect for Tour de France rival Jonas Vingegaard
Defending champion Tadej Pogacar insisted he had every respect for his great Tour de France rival Jonas Vingegaard ahead of Saturday's opening stage in Lille. The 26-year-old Slovenian won the Tour de France, Giro d'Italia and world title in 2024 and is the hot favorite again. Speaking at the Lille Opera House on Thursday, the Team UAE rider laughed off suggestions of bitterness when asked about harsh words between the two in previous races. "Look in the heat of the moment you can maybe scream something at someone," said Pogacar, dressed in his world champion rainbow shirt. Pogacar won the Tour in 2020 and again in 2021, when Vingegaard was second. The Dane won in 2022 and 2023, with the Slovenian runner up both times. Pogacar, who rides for Team UAE, recaptured the title last year with Vingegaard, of the powerful Visma squad, second. "The last five years have been intense between me and Jonas," Pogacar said. "It's a great competition and rivalry, and it will be interesting to see if the title changes hands again." "I'm looking forward to taking on Jonas again. It's going to be great for people on television and along the roadsides." Pogacar suggested he might need to get ahead of Vingegaard early before the Tour hits the high mountains. "Where Jonas might be stronger than me we will have to see," he said. "But he's the best climber in the world, and there are many hard finishes and lots of tricky ones. "So my goal should be to make time in the first week and not screw it up. "Don't read too much into any of the rivalry though. Visma and UAE respect each other, and you just have to congratulate the other when they win," said Pogacar. Pogacar also said a new face should not be counted out. In 2024, Belgium's Remco Evenepoel was the third man. The double Olympic champion said Thursday he was out to do better this year. Evenepoel believes he can make a difference in the time trial in the first week. "It's completely flat which means neither Jonas nor Tadej can produce their amazing power that they do on the climbs," said the 25-year-old, who is also the time-trial world champion. "It suits me better. I'll try to win big that day. I'll push as hard as I can," he said. The Belgian Soudal Quick-Step man said he wanted to finish his career having won all three Grand Tours. "That needs mountain work," he said. "It's months, years of preparation. And I'll keep working on this long term, he insisted. Evenepoel also said time trial should be accorded more respect. "My question to the organizers is, why not give bonus seconds on time trials like they do in the mountains. When I lose time on a mountain and then they say ah there's ten seconds more, that bugs me." He finished his interview with a passionate rallying cry "I'm here to compete, to make it harder for them," he said. "Last year I was third. I'm going to give my maximum and we'll see in a couple of weeks." The 112th edition of the Tour sets off Saturday with the opening stages near the Belgian border and the English Channel. The first 10 days of the 21-day race around France are set up to keep the tension boiling as long as possible before Pogacar and Vingegaard potentially slug it out for the victory in the Alps in the third week.
Japan Times
2 days ago
- Japan Times
Tadej Pogacar looking to join greats with fourth Tour de France crown
Reigning champion Tadej Pogacar begins his bid for a fourth Tour de France title on Saturday, seeking to cement his status among cycling's greatest all-around stars, with rivals Jonas Vingegaard and Remco Evenepoel hoping to find a weakness in his armor. The 112th edition of the race begins in Lille, with Slovenia's Pogacar, who previously triumphed in 2020, 2021, and 2024, aiming to join Britain's Chris Froome in the elite club of four-time winners. That would move him closer to the record five titles held by Bernard Hinault, Jacques Anquetil, Eddy Merckx and Miguel Indurain. The 26-year-old world champion's scintillating spring classics campaign, featuring victories at the Tour of Flanders and Liege-Bastogne-Liege plus podiums at Milan-Sanremo and Paris-Roubaix, showcased his versatility and drew comparisons to Merckx and Hinault. Pogacar's dominance continued at last month's Criterium du Dauphine, where he claimed three stages and overall victory by 59 seconds over two-time Tour de France winner Vingegaard. "For sure, this helps the morale and motivation for the Tour because it is the biggest goal of the season," he said after his commanding performance. "I think it is a mental boost for all the team." His sole vulnerability emerged during the Dauphine's 17.4-kilometer time trial, where he conceded 48 seconds to Evenepoel and 28 to Vingegaard — a potential weakness with two time trials totaling 43.9 km awaiting in this year's Tour. Denmark's Vingegaard, enjoying smoother preparation than last year when he was recovering from a serious injury, aims to reclaim the crown after finishing over six minutes behind Pogacar in 2024. The 28-year-old, who won the Tour in 2022 and 2023, suffered a concussion during March's Paris-Nice but rebounded to take second at the Dauphine. Vingegaard will be backed by a strong Visma-Lease a Bike team featuring Giro d'Italia winner Simon Yates, 2023 Vuelta a Espana champion Sepp Kuss, two-time Paris-Nice winner Matteo Jorgenson and the versatile Wout van Aert. "With these eight very strong riders, we believe in the plan we made for the Tour de France," Grischa Niermann, Visma's head of racing, said. "From Day 1, we will have to be there as a team to optimally assist Jonas in the general classification. "We have an optimal preparation behind us and with that, we think we can get the best possible result." Belgium's Evenepoel, who claimed third in his Tour debut last year, underwent surgery after crashing during training in December. The double Olympic champion made a remarkable comeback, winning April's Brabantse Pijl before the Soudal Quick-Step rider finished fourth at the Dauphine, over four minutes behind Pogacar. Germany's Florian Lipowitz emerges as a potential dark horse after his Paris-Nice runner-up finish and third place at the Dauphine. The Tour's 3,338.8-km route features 52,500 meters of climbing across 21 stages.
