That one silly attack could be the key for Vingegaard, but Pogacar stands in the way of other ambitions

With a 48-second lead over his closest challenger João Almeida, the pressure remains on the man in red. But: “To be honest, like I said before this race started, I knew I’d be the main favorite. But I came straight from the Tour, where the pressure was enormous, and here I actually feel a little less pressure in comparison,” Vingegaard admitted.

Pressure or not, the Visma | Lease a Bike leader launched an attack on stage 9, without any plan to do so beforehand. “Honestly, I’m glad I attacked that day. Right now, that move could decide the whole race. I felt really good that day, better than I did last week,” he sounded satisfied.

“I hope I’ll have the same legs over the next few days and that I can fight for more stage wins,” he continued. So far, the top favorite has taken only two stage wins in the first fifteen stages. But it wasn’t due to fatigue. “To be honest, I didn’t feel tired, but I just didn’t have the same legs I had in Valdezcaray,” he said, reflecting on week two.

Still, there’s no real disappointment. Vingegaard enters the third week with a 48-second lead in the GC. “I’m strong enough to stay in the fight and I’ve taken a few seconds here and there. I hope it’s enough to win the Vuelta.”

In the third week of the Vuelta, Vingegaard will mainly be up against riders from UAE Team Emirates. Unlike the past Tours de France, however, this time it’s not Tadej Pogacar but João Almeida leading the charge. Still, the Slovenian superstar continues to loom over Vingegaard's career and the constant comparisons? They don’t bother him at all.

In fact, quite the opposite: “I think it motivates me because he’s currently the best cyclist in the world. And if you want to win races, you have to beat Pogacar. That gives me even more motivation to improve,” the Visma star said of the frequent comparisons.

Which leads to one big question: how many grand tours would Vingegaard have won if Pogacar didn’t exist? “Probably five,” he said. “That would’ve been nice, of course, but at the same time, it’s great to race against Pogacar. He’s a good guy, and it’s good to have a rivalry like this.”

Those five wins would have been Tour de France victories, according to the Visma leader. “I think I could’ve won this year and last year anyway. Maybe also my first grand tour in 2021, but you never know. It’s hard to say.”

We’ll never know for sure, but what we do know is that Vingegaard has the European Championships in France on his schedule. “That’s the plan. I’ve spoken with the national coach, and it’s in my calendar,” he confirmed. And after that? The Dane is thinking about the Giro d’Italia. “Right now I have two Tour wins, and if I win the Vuelta, I’ll have won two of the three grand tours.”

That would logically make the Giro his next big goal. “It would mean a lot to me to win all three, so yes, I’d really like to ride the Giro,” Vingegaard revealed, offering a small glimpse into his future plans.