Vingegaard explains Visma’s failed crosswind tactics and looks ahead to stage 10: “I definitely expect a GC battle”

“We really wanted to take control with our team,” Van Aert said afterward. “I think there was enough wind, I think, but it never really hit quite right. I had hoped to go to the finish in a crosswind group and sprint for the win, but I just didn’t have the legs. As a team, we wanted to make those echelons happen, but I could only contribute so much.”

“We tried it once, when we made a nearly 180-degree turn to the left, and the wind was a little more at our back than we expected,” Vingegaard explained to TV2. “We had hoped for more of a crosswind, which would’ve been perfect for creating echelons. But it turned out to be a tailwind, so unfortunately, it didn’t happen.”

The team also had to deal with the long-range attack by Mathieu van der Poel and Jonas Rickaert, which only came to an end in the final kilometer. “It’s clear that the pace in the bunch increases at that point. If there's a battle for positions at the same time, it gets messy. The pace is so high that you can’t block the front like you normally could. That’s what makes those final moments so chaotic,” said Vingegaard.

Sports director Grischa Niermann echoed that sentiment. The German saw his team go on the offensive with 28 kilometers to go. “It was a serious attempt, but we more or less knew the wind wasn’t strong enough, and Remco (Evenepoel, ed.) and Tadej (Pogacar, ed.) were riding near the front.” While Van Aert pointed to the wind direction as the issue, Niermann also mentioned the lack of strength. “We gave it a shot, but there clearly wasn’t enough wind, so we backed off a bit and let the sprint teams do their thing.”

On the team website, Vingegaard added more to his story later on Sunday: “We tried to create echelons with a few other teams, but unfortunately it didn’t work. Now we turn our focus to tomorrow. I definitely expect a battle among the GC riders. A tough stage with plenty of climbing awaits, but we’re ready,” said the Dane, looking ahead to the grueling tenth stage.

Whether Monday turns out to be a day for the GC men, as Vingegaard predicted, or whether a strong breakaway fights for the stage win remains to be seen. Either way, fireworks are expected on Quatorze Juillet.