Vingegaard converts clever team play into stage win and yellow jersey

Vingegaard converts clever team play into stage win and yellow jersey

Jonas Vingegaard has taken his first stage victory in the Tour de France in beautiful fashion. With a splendid attack, the Dane of Team Jumbo-Visma rode away from his competitors on the Col du Granon. Five kilometres later, he arrived solo at the finish line. Vingegaard is also the new yellow jersey wearer after his resounding victory.

The peloton had to cross several alpine giants in the challenging eleventh stage. After the Col du Télegraphe and the Col du Galibier, the subsequent Col du Granon was labeled decisive. His teammates perfectly dropped off Vingegaard at the foot of the final climb. It was all part of Team Jumbo-Visma’s plan, which gave the competition a hard time for hours.

“The team rode a fantastic stage”, Vingegaard said. The Dane was part of a plan in which his team tried to hurt the competition. It resulted in a man-to-man fight on the penultimate climb. On the ascent of the Col du Granon, Vingegaard kept quiet for a while. At about five kilometers from the finish, the Dane turned the race on its head.

"I am so incredibly grateful to my teammates"

Jonas Vingegaard

Vingegaard's attack proved too much for his rivals. “I felt the competition was struggling after my attack. The moment I rode in front, I felt our plan worked well. I am so incredibly grateful to my teammates. When a great champion like Primoz sacrifices himself in service of me, I can only look at that with great admiration”, Vingegaard made his gratitude clear.

"This is what I dreamed of as a child"

Jonas Vingegaard

His third win of the season meant Vingegaard was handed the yellow jersey. “This is what I dreamed of as a child. It’s nice to be second in the general classification, but the podium’s highest step is the absolute goal. We now have the yellow jersey and will do everything we can to bring it to Paris. We will keep fighting until the last metre. Fortunately, I feel empowered by a powerful team”, Vingegaard referred to Team Jumbo-Visma’s Tour selection, which has now recorded twenty-nine victories this season.

 / 

Related updates