Jumbo-Visma and Vingegaard not impressed by Pogacar's mind games: "Easy to deal with"

During his press talk, Pogacar had mentioned that he wanted to dwell as little as possible on his rivals from Jumbo-Visma. However, he did point out that after Vingegaard's performances and statements in the Critérium du Dauphiné, he saw him as a top candidate for this year's Tour victory.

A similar question of course found its way to Vingegaard. "I don't think it matters what we say, but rather who is in the best form," replied the Danish rider. "We'll be keeping a close eye on each other, but I can also say now that he's the big favorite: it doesn't matter."

"It's easy to deal with," Vingegaard added when asked about the situation. "I only think about myself, how I can improve. That's what I've been focused on in recent months, to start here in the best possible shape." Van Aert chimed in, stating that UAE Team Emirates had started playing mind games, even by announcing Adam Yates as their co-leader. "It's a whole different story if Yates proves to be just as good as Pogacar and Vingegaard. I think it's a mind game."

Still, Vingegaard is expecting something from his Slovenian opponent in the first days. He anticipates that Pogacar will attack in the early stages, just like last year. "I need to be ready for that, have an answer to those attempts." Nevertheless, he is not intimidated. "I think I've improved in short climbs; at least that's how it feels on the bike anyway."

As the leader of Jumbo-Visma, Vingegaard approaches the Tour as a defending champion. "You could say I'm the prey, but in reality, I'm also still the hunter. Looking at it that way, not much has changed. A lot has changed around me, but I myself have remained the same person. I've had a good period after the Dauphiné. I feel good and I'm ready, I think. I'm where I want to be, so we'll see in three weeks if it's enough."