Vingegaard as top contender at the World Championships? French ex-pro laughs: "Pogacar would destroy him"

It is no secret that national coach Michael Mørkøv would love to see the Danish star at the start in Kigali. “The message is that he is ready to ride the World Championships and that he also has a good program leading up to it. That is our starting point, and we will stay in touch,” the former pro explained in February. With the World Championships approaching, Vingegaard certainly seems interested in a start in Rwanda.

The Tour of Lombardy is also a possibility, but Stéphane Rossetto thinks the two-time Tour winner has no business there. “Pogacar would destroy him in a one-day race. The World Championships or the Tour of Lombardy are not the first stage of the Tour de France,” said the ex-rider for Cofidis, among others, in Eurosport’s Podcast Bistrot Vélo.

Vingegaard performed excellently in the Tour de France in the hilly first week, where he did not lose any time to Pogacar on short, steep climbs. Nevertheless, the 38-year-old Frenchman is concerned for the Visma team leader. "One-day races are not like stages in a Grand Tour. The World Championships in Kigali will be over 250 kilometers: that's six or seven hours on the bike. It's a different sport. Vingegaard isn't used to that kind of racing.“

To be honest, the results of Vingegaard don't paint a great picture. In the last three years, he has competed in one one-day race. That was the Clasica San Sebastian in 2024, which he did not finish. His only victory in a one-day race came in 2022, when he won the Drôme Classic. He also started in six Monuments, with a 14th place in the Tour of Lombardy as his best result. And the World Championships? He has never ridden in them. If he starts in Rwanda, it will be the first time he represents Denmark at the highest level.

So it's a rather bleak prospect, but Vingegaard is a special rider. Despite his lack of experience, can he still shine in the one-day races? Rossetto doesn't think so: only Pogacar can compete at that level. “I've seen what happens when riders try to make that step. He's not one of the few who can do both. At the World Championships, I'll always bet against him,” concludes the Frenchman. The World Championships will take place on September 28, with the Tour of Lombardy two weeks later.