Jonas Vingegaard wary ‘we’re not there yet’ as Tour de France races toward Paris
Vingegaard not letting guard down for Saturday's TT after sailing through one more day in yellow jersey on Friday.
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CAHORS, France (VN) – Jonas Vingegaard inched a little closer to clinching the Tour de France on Friday.
“Today was a stressful stage, I’m just happy to make it, and I’m even happier we were able to win,” Vingegaard said after seeing teammate Christophe Laporte end France’s drought at its home race in the Tour’s 19th stage.
“The Iceman” Dane was delivered to Cahors safe in the Jumbo-Visma wheels to retain a near-insurmountable 3:26 margin over second-place Tadej Pogačar with just two days remaining.
But Vingegaard knows the race ain’t over until the peloton arrives in Paris.
One final time trial around Rocamadour on Saturday is both a pot-hole for Vingegaard to navigate and an opportunity for Jumbo-Visma to add to its already awesome Tour de France.
The 41-kilometer test puts Jumbo-Visma in the frame for another stage victory for green jersey wearer Wout van Aert.
Staffers will have more than Van Aert to sweat about as the Jumbo-Visma bus keeps a close eye on Vingegaard.
“It’s been an incredible Tour for us so for, five stage wins, the yellow jersey, the green, the polka dots. It’s been an incredible Tour, and hopefully also tomorrow. Hopefully, we can do our best tomorrow and I can bring the yellow jersey to Paris,” Vingegaard told press after the stage.
“But we’re not there yet. I have to do a good time trial tomorrow, so we’ll see tomorrow.”
Also read:
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- Tour de France stage 18: Jonas Vingegaard drops Tadej Pogačar to win on Hautacam
- Tour de France: Tadej Pogačar crashes on descent and Jonas Vingegaard waits: ‘We respect each other a lot’
With more than three minutes of an advantage over Pogačar, Vingegaard just needs to keep things rubber side down in Saturday’s time trial.
“I’ll always do my best, I’ll try to do a good time, but of course, I won’t take full risk in the corners,” he said. “I’ll try to go fast, but without any risks.”
Primož Roglič suffered the heartache of seeing yellow stripped from his shoulders by Pogačar in the penultimate time trial in 2020. Vingegaard wasn’t there to witness it, and isn’t thinking about it, either.
“I was in the hospital when that happened, I just had my daughter so I was watching from the hospital,” he said. “I wouldn’t say it’s something the team talks a lot about.
“Tomorrow, I’ll just do everything I can to keep this beautiful jersey, I’ll give everything I have”