Vingegaard remains secretive about the plan for Dauphiné queen stage: "I’m still here to win"

Before the start of the stage, which features the Col de la Madeleine and Col de la Croix de Fer, Vingegaard reflected calmly on Friday’s race in an interview with Cycling Pro. “I think I can be satisfied. I’ve done well so far. Tadej was stronger yesterday, I have to accept that.” In the stage to Combloux, Pogacar launched his attack with 7 kilometers to go, and Vingegaard was unable to follow.

It was an impressive display and somewhat reminiscent of the stage to Plateau de Beille during last year’s Tour de France. “I think it was pretty close to that,” Vingegaard agreed. “I didn’t have my power meter, not as an excuse, I still had to go full gas to the finish. It didn’t slow me down, and I think I put out good wattage, and so did Tadej. It was a lot shorter than Plateau de Beille, so maybe it’s hard to compare.”

In any case, the two-time Tour de France winner certainly isn’t panicking. “We’re still calm. I know this race will make me stronger, and that was always the plan, to use this race as preparation for the Tour. We’re doing our thing, and we’ll see how it goes at the Tour.” A big positive has been the strength of his team, with Matteo Jorgenson, Sepp Kuss, and Ben Tulett all stepping up alongside Vingegaard. “We can be happy with our team performance — everyone was super strong. We showed we had four guys up there with the best. Hopefully, we can do the same today.”

Stage seven is rightfully called the queen stage, featuring three brutal climbs and a staggering 4,800 meters of elevation gain. If Vingegaard still has cards to play, today’s the day to show them. “I’ve got a plan,” he said with a grin, “but you’ll just have to wait and see what it is.” One thing’s clear: he’s not giving up. “I’m still here to win. I think my form is good, and I’ll give it everything.”