Rivals already eyeing revenge

PARIS • As the dust settles on the Tour de France, where champion Jonas Vingegaard's Dutch team Jumbo-Visma delivered a collective masterpiece on Sunday, their defeated rivals are already plotting revenge for next year.

The Tour rolled into Paris with Vingegaard at its head, while his teammate Wout van Aert had the green sprint jersey and the pair proved as relentless as they were ruthless. Van Aert came second on all of the first three stages before eventually notching up the first of his own three stage wins.

Vingegaard, last year's surprise runner-up, chased two-time defending champion and early leader Tadej Pogacar over the first 11 stages before taking the lead in dramatic style in the Alps.

It is a remarkable ascent for the 25-year-old, who five years ago was working as a fish packer in a factory in the morning before training in the afternoon.

The softly-spoken Dane, who joined Jumbo-Visma in 2019, has long struggled with anxiety, which cost him in several races. But with the help of his girlfriend Trine Hansen and his management team, he began to manage his nerves better and his newly found composure was key in his progression.

Vingegaard is the first Dane to win the Tour since Bjarne Riis, who kept his 1996 title despite later admitting to doping. He said: "One of the biggest experiences of my life to start the Tour in Denmark. It was such a big moment."

Vingegaard laid the foundations of his victory in the 10th stage, where he and his teammate Primoz Roglic attacked Pogacar relentlessly, forcing him to crack in the climb up to the Col du Granon.

Pogacar, 23, said on Saturday after his last chance had gone in the long 20th-stage time-trial, that he was already looking at next year.

"It's going to be an interesting couple of years. I like a challenge, and Jonas is just that," he said.

"We made a few mistakes and racing comes down to small details so I'm really motivated.

"I can't wait for the next race and the next Tour de France.

"But first we will go away and analyse this. I'm looking forward to new challenges."

Pogacar's UAE Team Emirates are interested in signing Colombian veteran Nairo Quintana, after realising their young leader, while being a pure climber, perhaps struggles in the high altitude.

That was evident on stage 11 when the Tour climbed to 2,600m and Vingegaard seized the leader's yellow jersey.

The next Tour de France starts with three stages in Bilbao in the Basque region of Spain, beginning with a long individual time trial and two stages with rolling terrain.

The organisers will reveal the rest of the route on Oct 27. There is a chance of the Tour going to the Pyrenees before the Alps.

One man who loves the mountains is Egan Bernal of Ineos, who could have been a rival to Pogacar and Vingegaard, but suffered a horrific crash in training in January and is recovering from what were initially thought to be life-threatening injuries.

Jumbo-Visma will have a target on their backs when the race returns next year, but Vingegaard is determined to hold off all-comers again. "I want to celebrate this victory first but of course I want to come back to the Tour to win another one," he said.

"But I didn't set myself five Tours de France or anything like that. I just want to come back and win."

AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE, REUTERS