'Harder, the better' - Jonas Vingegaard ready for attacks at 'every moment' in Tadej Pogacar duel at Tour de France

ByHarry Latham Coyle

Updated 20/07/2022 at 09:40 GMT

Another strong team performance from Jumbo-Visma allowed Vingegaard to mark Pogacar's every move on Stage 16, but the wearer of the yellow jersey knows he is in for two more tough days in the Pyrenees. The Danish rider feels that he has recovered well from his crash before the race day and is braced for relentless offensives from the defending champion as their thrilling battle continues.

Jonas Vingegaard is bracing for attacks at "every moment" as he looks to hold off Tadej Pogacar at the Tour de France.

Another team masterclass from Jumbo-Visma allowed their leader to follow Pogacar's offensives on Stage 16 as the Slovenian looked to narrow Vingegaard's general classification lead.

The defending champion attacked thrice on the first major climb of the day, briefly catching his rival off-guard with his third move on the descent, but Vingegaard was able to recover and lock in the familiar position on Pogacar's back wheel.

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Pogacar's UAE Team Emirates colleague Rafal Majka thinned out the GC group on the sharp slopes of the Mur de Peguere, but an untimely mechanical allowed Jumbo-Visma to again take control, with Sepp Kuss dragging Vingegaard up the hill and Pogacar unable to attack the American's fast tempo.

Any thought of another attack on the descent was negated by the presence up the road of two more Jumbo-Visma riders, with Nathan van Hooydonck and Wout van Aert treading water after exiting the day's breakaway to ensure their leader retained his 2'22" advantage at the top of the standings.

Pogacar has vowed to attack wherever he can in the mountains and Vingegaard knows he must be wary ahead of the first proper Pyrenean test on Stage 17, which ends with a Category 1 climb to Peyragudes.

"I'm just trying to do my best every day," Vingegaard said.

"I know Tadej will attack me, so every day is about trying to follow him and not leaving any gaps to him. Of course, there's also a lot of other riders I have to follow if they attack. I did that today.

"I expect him to attack me on every moment, I just have to be ready.

"Does it suit me? Well, I think at least it's not bad for me to go early. For me, I have the feeling that the harder it is, the better.”

Vingegaard hit the deck on a brutally hot fifteenth stage of a breathless Tour, avoiding serious injury in the incident on the stage to Carcassonne and was able to recover on Monday's rest day.

'A disasterous day'- Jumbo-Visma drama as Vingegaard and Benoot crash

Stage 16 again showed the value of his Jumbo-Visma team-mates, whose role clarity and collective strength have been a feature and deciding factor in the race so far.

The team lost Steven Kruijswijk in a separate Stage 15 crash, while Primoz Roglic was also forced to withdraw, placing even more importance on key mountain domestique Kuss.

"It wasn't only Sepp, the whole team was incredible today," Vingegaard said of the American climber after the finish in Foix. "Christophe Laporte and Tiesj Benoot were pulling first, then Sepp took over on the climb. And we had Wout and Nathan waiting out ahead for us.

"We have a strong team and luckily today I was able to follow Pogacar.

Vingegaard believes he has the legs to hold on to yellow all the way to Paris, adding: "I don't feel like my condition is going down, at least. I feel like I recover really well in a Grand Tour. I feel the rest day was needed after my crash, but I'm actually looking forward to the next days."

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