Nordhagen aims to match Vingegaard: "It would be great to challenge Pogacar one day"

"I'm sharing a room with Jonas, so I can always ask him questions. That's good for me. One of the first things we discussed was how he felt when joining the team. He was in a similar situation, so we did talk about that. Surely, in a couple of years, he has grown into one of the best GC riders," the Norwegian told us during an interview in January.

Comparisons between the two riders are frequently made, and that's not surprising. Vingegaard is 1m75 and weighs 58 kg. Nordhagen is 1m77 and weighs 59 kg. They are similar not only physically but also in character. They are two quiet guys from Northern Europe with a good idea of what to do. But we must be careful not to say, "We're just going to copy Vingegaard," Robbert de Groot (Head of Development Visma-Lease a Bike) told Sporza.

"When I was 16 and still riding in the youth categories, I had my first short Zoom meeting with Visma-Lease a Bike. A collaboration soon followed," he told the Belgian newspaper. "There is particular confidence in Nordhagen at the yellow-black formation. He is the upcoming new leader. 'We believe Jørgen has the right skills to become a GC rider, certainly already on a tactical and social-emotional level. But we will take our time to see if he can reach that very high level," De Groot says.

One thing they don't have in common is that Nordhagen was also a top talent in cross-country skiing. The question was not whether he would become a top athlete but in which sport he would become a world champion. In this way, De Groot also knew of Nordhagen's existence.

Because therein lies the most significant difference between the two riders. They have taken a different route to get where they are today, and Nordhagen is, in some ways, just a little further along than the Dane. "Jonas came into the team in a different way than Jørgen, who we scouted consciously. They were trained differently. Jonas has very special qualities. Just like Jørgen, who is now perhaps a little further along in time trial than Jonas was at that age," De Groot says.

Nordhagen himself dreams of becoming as good or even better than Vingegaard. "To eventually take over the role of Jonas and perform the same things is the dream. But I will do it at my own pace.' That pace starts at the end of this week in the Tour of Oman. Then, he will measure up to the best in Strade Bianche. 'Tadej Pogacar is also at the start there. I will immediately experience firsthand how hard they ride at the highest level. It would be nice to challenge Pogacar one day," Nordhagen concludes with optimism.