BARCELONA – Jonas Vingegaard has his sights set on a first Grand Tour title in two years when the Spanish Vuelta starts on Saturday, with top rival Tadej Pogačar skipping the mountainous three-week race.
Vingegaard won the Tour de France in 2022 and 2023 but has found himself continually finishing behind Pogačar ever since recovering from a gruesome crash during the Tour of Basque Country in Spain in April 2024.
That accident left him with a collapsed lung and a broken collarbone, among other injuries. Rather miraculously he was back in action at the Tour a couple of months later, but Vingegaard has finished the sport’s elite race as runner-up behind Pogačar for two years running.
The 28-year-old Dane is now expected by many to take his first Vuelta title, especially with four-time winner Primoz Roglic also sitting this edition out.
“I’m a favorite, so there’s pressure, but I’m just happy to be here and to go for the win,” Vingegaard said Thursday. “(I) had a good training period, with the best preparation I could have. I feel the shape is good.”
Vingegaard is back at the Spanish race for a third time, after watching Visma–Lease a Bike teammates win it in his two previous participations. He made his grand tour debut at the 2020 Vuelta when Roglic won his first title. In 2023, Vingegaard finished second to surprise victor Sepp Kuss, with Roglic third.
Pogačar is absent but his team is still strong
Even though Pogačar won’t be racing, his UAE Emirates team will still be Visma’s top threat. It has brought two superb riders in Juan Ayuso and Portuguese standout João Almeida.
“Ayuso and Almeida are the guys you have to really think about, also because they can play two cards, so they have a very strong team,” Vingegaard said.
Ayuso became Spanish cycling’s next big hope three years ago when he finished the Vuelta in third place at age 19. This season he won the Tirreno-Adriatico in March.
But he has only had two days of racing since May when he had to abandon the Giro d’Italia after crashing. He also said he had intended to skip the Vuelta and focus on the world championships in September until his team changed the plan.
“My condition is a bit of an unknown,” Ayuso said. “I’ll try to do well in the general classification, and if I’m not there yet, I’ll try to help Joao win La Vuelta.”
The 27-year-old Almeida likewise was on a strong run, sweeping the Tour of Basque Country, Tour de Romandie and Tour de Suisse before he had to withdraw from the Tour de France with a cracked rib in July.
“With two of us, it’s easier because we can play two cards and put pressure on Visma. But to win, you need to have the best legs,” Almeida said. “If there’s a favorite, I think it’s him (Vingegaard). But we’re here, we’re not afraid, we’re going to keep our legs turning and may the best man win.”
Race starts in Italy and avoids Spain’s southern heat
The opening stages will be held in northern Italy before Stage 4 dips across into France.
The Vuelta then shifts to Spain, where it will completely avoid any racing in its south before its traditional finish in Madrid. With Spain just recovering from a brutal heat wave that fueled massive wildfires, the decision could make for easier racing conditions.
The race’s 80th edition features eight summit finishes in the high mountains, including the highly anticipated climb of L’Angliru on Stage 13, which could prove decisive.
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