Dumoulin criticizes Vingegaard’s tactics in stage nine: “That was not stylish”

Jonas Vingegaard has had a trouble-free Giro d’Italia so far and already appears to be moving steadily toward overall victory. Felix Gall is still relatively close to the Dane for now, but given the Austrian’s weaker time trial, the expectation is that Vingegaard will significantly increase his margin on Tuesday. Still, Tom Dumoulin was not entirely happy with the way the Visma | Lease a Bike leader raced, as he explained on the NOS Wielerpodcast.

Where Vingegaard and his team took the initiative themselves on the stage to Blockhaus, Sunday’s uphill finish was a very different story. Decathlon CMA CGM led the chase, after which an attack followed from Vingegaard challenger Gall. NOS analyst Stef Clement therefore saw a smart Vingegaard.

“In any case, he is riding very economically. The Giro is at its toughest in the third week, so you should not put everything on the table already,” the Dutchman said in understanding. Dumoulin also praised the tactics of Visma | Lease a Bike. “They rode a very sensible race. Why would you start wasting energy already?” the 2017 Giro winner said positively about the team’s approach in the early hours of the race.

Dumoulin was far less impressed, however, with Vingegaard’s behaviour on the final climb. “They leave all the work to Decathlon, then Pellizzari drops, who beforehand was Vingegaard’s biggest rival. Then I do think: come on. You are the great Vingegaard, the great champion of this Giro, then at least take one turn. Sorry, but I did not find this stylish. That one pull really would not have cost him any energy in the final week,” the Dutchman said critically.

According to the former professional, that kind of racing also does not help Vingegaard’s image as a wait-and-see rider, a reputation that already follows him. “People say that about him anyway, and then he does it again here.” Dumoulin sees a major difference in that respect with more popular riders such as Mathieu van der Poel and Tadej Pogacar, who tend to race more aggressively and seek out the attack more often.

“I do think he makes himself less loved with this. I think Pogacar would think: ‘I would never have done it that way.’ There is a lot of respect for guys like Van der Poel and Pogacar because they race with their hearts. In moments like this, I do think: Jonas, why? I understand that it is smart, but what difference does that one turn make? I really did not think it was a stylish way to win that stage,” Dumoulin concluded.

That said, the Dutchman also saw good things from Vingegaard during the first Italian week of this Giro. “I should not be too critical, because in the stage to Blockhaus he raced very well and attacked nicely. Sunday was just a little less nice.” Stylish or not, Vingegaard is in any case well on his way to his first Giro victory. On Tuesday, he could potentially increase his advantage over his nearest rival Gall in the long time trial.