Is Vingegaard conceding to the dominance of Pogacar by riding the Giro? 'That's my takeaway,' says Bruyneel

Jonas Vingegaard will ride the Giro d’Italia this year. The Danish leader of Visma | Lease a Bike hopes to complete the set of all three Grand Tours and join an illustrious group of riders. After the Giro, he is also scheduled to start the Tour de France, but according to Johan Bruyneel, that plan comes with clear risks. Is it really wise to ride the Giro first and then the Tour?

The Belgian discusses the topic in his podcast THEMOVE. "I think it makes sense," he starts. 'He still has to win it, of course. But he's the second best stage rider in the world, there's no doubt about that. Tadej Pogacar is going full gas for the Tour, and for Jonas, João Almeida will be his main rival. He has already shown he can beat him."

In the Vuelta, Vingegaard relegated Almeida to second place. "That was a Jonas who was in my opinion not at his best. He still managed to win it, quite dominantly I would say. It was close, and not at the same time. In the last stage, he just rode away from everybody. Was he ever put in trouble by Almeida? The only guy who did that in the Vuelta was Tom Pidcock. Almeida couldn't really drop Vingegaard."

Winning all three Grand Tours also carries enormous historical value. "If you have the opportunity to win all three grand tours, and at the end of your career, you can say: "I am one of the few who has won three grand tours," you have to take it. There is Merckx, there is Froome and Hinault, but Indurain never won all three." Jacques Anquetil, Felice Gimondi, Alberto Contador and Vincenzo Nibali also won all the grand tours.

The Giro’s maglia rosa therefore holds huge value for Vingegaard, Bruyneel believes - but he also sees a possible sign of weakness in the Dane’s decision. "He is probably going to win the Giro, if his preparation goes well. He probably won't race between the Giro and the Tour. I think it's doable, but would he be mentally giving up a little bit on the dominance of Pogacar?"

The former U.S. Postal Service team manager doubts whether Vingegaard can line up at the Tour in peak condition after also riding the Giro. "Saying, "It is highly unlikely that I can win the Tour, unless there's circumstances. So I'm going to go for the Giro. Then I'll see what the Tour brings.' That would be my takeaway from his decision."

Pogacar did the same in 2024 and won both Grand Tours. It is therefore possible - but according to Bruyneel, the situations are not comparable. "I don't think Pogacar was in the same mindset. Because he's dominating. The Tour, the season, the whole cycling world. You're going up against a Cannibal." Last year, Vingegaard finished second in the Tour, more than four minutes behind the world champion.

The key question follows: should Vingegaard still ride the Tour if he is unlikely to win it? "I think he has to. You have to be there, and just try. There's always circumstances: there is no guarantee that Pogacar is going to have a clean run without any issues every year. He crashed last year, and it could have been a lot worse. Then you have to be in pole position to win."

There is also a potential mental benefit for the Dane. "If he goes to the Giro and wins it, he starts the Tour with almost no pressure," Bruyneel explained. "Everything that happens is fine. It's not like you have to make up for your season." the Giro starts March 8 in Bulgaria, while the Grand Départ takes place July 4 in Barcelona.