Denmark can breathe a sigh of relief after the first stage of the Critérium du Dauphiné. After his crash in Paris-Nice, Jonas Vingegaard returned to racing after almost three months. And how! With aggressive racing and a strong sprint, the leader of Visma | Lease a Bike made a big impression. In his home country, people are ecstatic about the form of the two-time Tour winner, but not everyone is ready to jump on the Vingegaard train just yet.
Rolf Sørensen, who rode for Rabobank in the 1990s and won the Tour of Flanders while riding for the Dutch team, is overwhelmed with joy after Vingegaard’s performance in Montluçon. “I think he’s better than ever,” his 60-year-old compatriot told BT. The breakaway made a big impression on Sørensen, and the aggression of the day’s runner-up was different than we are used to.

The route chosen by the Visma leader to attack was particularly striking. He didn’t wait for the high mountains or the time trial but decided to go for it on Tadej Pogacar’s terrain. With Wednesday’s time trial approaching, Sørensen is, therefore, full of confidence. “I think he’s going to beat Pogacar in the time trial. It’s the first important moment, but it’s a feeling I have. We have some exciting moments ahead of us.”

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vingegaard pogacar van der poel

Pogacar was just too strong for Vingegaard in the sprint.

Riis cautious about Vingegaard: “It’s too early to judge”

Bjarne Riss, the 1996 Tour winner, remains somewhat more conservative. He laughed at the comments made by his fellow countryman. “That’s just something he says. It’s typical Rolf,” chuckles the former sports director. “Yes, I saw a strong Jonas Vingegaard on Sunday, who is well prepared for the Dauphiné and the Tour. But whether he is stronger than ever is still too early to judge.”
Before the Dauphiné, Riis was already cautious about Vingegaard’s chances in the French stage race and the subsequent Tour de France. “Jonas was strong when he won the Tour in 2023. But that’s not enough to beat Pogacar as he is now. He’s in a completely different position than he was then, and Visma has to understand that. Pogacar has developed and improved enormously.”

Sunday’s performance has not changed his mind. “We’ve only seen one stage,” the Dane notes. “Let’s look at the mountain stages and see where Jonas stands. He is undoubtedly strong, but we must wait until the weekend and see how things go before determining anything.” The Dauphiné ends with three challenging mountain stages in the Alps.