Bruyneel questions Evenepoel’s chances, while Riis is pessimistic about Vingegaard: "Visma needs to understand that"

It is not a given that the three rivals will already be competing against each other in the race. "It is unique that they are racing against each other in preparation for the Tour," Bruyneel notes. The last time Vingegaard, Pogacar, and Evenepoel met in a race outside the Tour de France was the 2022 Tirreno-Adriatico: they have never ridden the Dauphiné or the Tour de Suisse together. "Normally, one rider does the Dauphiné, another rides the Tour de Suisse, and yet another is at altitude training. The fact that the three of them are there will be interesting."

The 60-year-old Belgian is a big fan of the Dauphiné. As a team manager, he sent Lance Armstrong to France more often than to Switzerland. "It's the ideal preparation for the Tour. It's better than Switzerland because it's a week earlier. Then you have time between the Dauphiné and the Tour to head for the mountains and explore some stages. There can still be snow in the high Alps in April and May, so June is the best time to do that."

Remarkably, his American protégé 'only' won the Dauphiné twice. But times have changed: if you want to be good in the Tour, you must be here. "Fifteen, twenty years ago, the Dauphiné was a preparation race, and you could say: I’ll go all out for two days and take it easy on the other days. As a Tour favorite, you could still finish fifth or sixth, and there was no panic. Today, it's different. If you're not good in the Dauphiné, there is definitely panic. These guys race so little, so they go all out when they race."

Bruyneel expects Vingegaard and Pogacar to go full gas against each other. "I have the impression that they are both flying. Jonas has his best numbers, but Tadej is close to his best form ever. They will be closer than they were during last year's tour. Of course, we want to see a big battle between Jonas and Tadej, and Remco is also better at the moment than he was last year."

According to his trainer, Evenepoel is 1.5 kilos lighter than last year. The preparations for the Tour are going smoothly, and his team has more confidence than ever in their leader. But his compatriot Bruyneel does not expect the two-time Olympic champion to be able to match the level of his two rivals in the Tour. "I still think he is the biggest contender for third place."

The last time Pogacar lost a week-long stage race was the 2022 Tour of the Basque Country. He seems to be the man to beat, but Bruyneel also expects the world champion to be the top favorite in the Tour. "If Pogacar rides intelligent, it’s almost impossible to beat him. I don't see him losing if he doesn’t do anything stupid, like a long breakaway." That’s setting the tone.

Bjarne Riis is also considering the battle we can expect this week. He believes the anticipated duel between Vingegaard and Pogacar will not be as exciting as people hope. The Dane will also have a tough time in the Tour. "Jonas was strong when he won the Tour in 2023. But that's not enough to beat Pogacar as he is now,“ his compatriot told BT, who won the Tour in 1996. "He's in a completely different position than he was then, and Visma has to understand that. Pogacar has grown and improved enormously."

"I do not doubt that Jonas will ride well, but whether he has made enough progress compared to Pogacar two years ago is the question." This year's route seems perfect for the defending champion, and Riis saw in 2024 that no one was a match for the Slovenian. "Pogacar only had to defend last year and was never under pressure. Only on the day, Jonas won his stage did Pogacar make a mistake himself. But he didn't lose any time."