Belgian analyst Michel Wuyts criticizes Vingegaard’s spring choices: "I can understand Roglic, but him…"

While his podcast colleagues mainly talk about the world champion's fantastic performance in Liège-Bastogne-Liège, Wuyts has a different perspective. "It doesn't change the fact that not only in this edition but in, let's say, the last five editions, the competition seems rather mediocre," says the Belgian about the other riders.

Looking at the top ten of the 2025 Liège-Bastogne-Liège, you'll see Giulio Ciccone (second), Ben Healy (third), Thibau Nys (fifth), Daniel Felipe Martinez (seventh), and Tom Pidcock (ninth), among others. Wuyts believes that the rest of the podium – apart from Pogacar – are at a different level. "You can't say that Ciccone and Healy are great champions. That would be an exaggeration."

Wuyts turns his attention to the other big names in today's cycling. "They're not showing up. I can understand Roglic saying he's going to the Giro, not wanting to take risks at 35, and that this is the only way to win the Giro. That's all making sense."

"But Vingegaard," the Belgian journalist continues. "Where are you, man?! Where are you?! Show yourself in a one-day race." Wuyts saw that Tiesj Benoot had to pick up the pieces for Visma | Lease a Bike in the Ardennes classics. "It's painful for Benoot that, despite all his achievements, which are enormous for that team, he has to be the one to do it. He has to keep up appearances for Visma in the Ardennes. There is no team to support him."

Vingegaard has already shown his talent in one-day races. Last year, that was only once, when he had to record a DNF in the Clasica San Sebastian in August. The year before, in 2023, he did not compete in any one-day races. The last time the Dane was in action in the spring classics was in 2022.

In 2022, Vingegaard started his season in France with the Faun Ardèche Classic-Drôme Classic. He won the second race and competed in the GP de Denain via the Tirreno-Adriatico. The Dane, then with Jumbo-Visma, did not make an impression there, finishing 76th in the stage results. The Flèche Wallonne and Liège-Bastogne-Liège followed, but Vingegaard did not finish either race. In the fall of 2022, the Dane competed in the Tour of Lombardy, finishing 16th.

Liège-Bastogne-Liège and the Tour of Lombardy were the two Monuments in which Vingegaard competed in 2021 and the pandemic-hit fall of 2020. The Dane did not finish in the top ten on either occasion, but he was much more active in the classics. During those years, Vingegaard rode the Amstel Gold Race, the Bretagne Classic, the Giro dell'Emilia, and the Clasica San Sebastian again. That has now changed, much to Wuyts' frustration