Jonas Vingegaard, a top contender in grand tour racing, needs a statement win in the Vuelta a España to reassert his authority in the general classification (GC) landscape. With Tadej Pogačar not participating in the Vuelta, the door is wide open for Vingegaard to clinch his first grand tour victory in over two years. However, the absence of Pogačar also puts immense pressure on Vingegaard to win; anything less than a victory could be seen as failure.
Vingegaard’s last grand tour win was a crushing victory over Pogačar at the 2023 Tour de France. Since then, he’s been beaten by Pogačar in the past two Tours. The GC landscape is shifting with riders like Juan Ayuso, João Almeida, and Remco Evenepoel pushing for higher positions. Vingegaard needs to make a statement in the Vuelta to reassert his dominance.
Without Pogačar, Evenepoel, or Primož Roglič in the mix, Vingegaard is considered a super-favorite for the Vuelta. Despite being one of the riders to beat in grand tours alongside Pogačar, Vingegaard was more than six minutes ahead of third-place Evenepoel in the 2024 Tour de France. The stakes are high for Vingegaard in the Vuelta – it’s victory or bust.
Second place in the Vuelta wouldn’t be enough for Vingegaard, given the circumstances. History and the outcome in Madrid won’t favor a runner-up. Vingegaard’s goal is clear: win the Vuelta a España to prove his standing among the top GC riders.
