The ongoing rivalry between Jonas Vingegaard and Tadej Pogacar has set the stage for a dramatic showdown during the Tour de France. As both riders represent their respective teams—Vingegaard at Jumbo-Visma and Pogacar at UAE Team Emirates-XRG—tensions are unmistakably mounting. One of Vingegaard’s teammates pointed out that Pogacar seems to be feeling the heat from the relentless pressure exerted by their team during the race. This escalating rivalry has manifested through Pogacar’s moments of visible annoyance, including a notable incident during Stage 7 when he urged Jumb-Visma to “pay respect to everybody,” following a pushing encounter on the course.
The competitive history between Vingegaard and Pogacar has been intense; they have split victories over the past five editions of the prestigious Tour. Pogacar took the crown in 2020, 2021, and 2024, while Vingegaard secured wins in 2022 and 2023. As the two continue their pursuit of the yellow jersey, their latest face-off has proven to be the most contentious, underscoring the stakes involved in this year’s race.
Stage 10 showcased Vingegaard’s team taking the fight to Pogacar yet again, with Matteo Jorgenson launching a series of attacks that were swiftly countered by Pogacar himself. It was during the latter part of Stage 10 that Pogacar made his move, prompting Vingegaard to swiftly follow. At the finish line, the pair exchanged handshakes—a gesture that masked the underlying “psychological warfare” that may be at play beneath the surface.
Vingegaard’s teammate emphasized that they are committed to maintaining pressure on Pogacar every day of the race. “We tried to attack, but the problem is we have a very strong opponent. We try to put him under pressure day after day,” he explained. He acknowledged a noticeable change in Pogacar’s demeanor, suggesting that there are signs of irritation from both Pogacar and his team due to the consistent efforts to break his rhythm. “But we have to be honest: he’s the best rider in the peloton, maybe even the best rider of all time. It’s incredibly difficult to counter someone of his caliber,” he added.
Despite the combativeness of the race tactics, the team is not willing to alter their strategy simply to foster a friendlier atmosphere. “We try as hard as possible. With Jonas, we believe we have the best chance to dethrone him, but it will indeed be extremely challenging. We have 11 days to go, and we will continue our aggressive approach,” he stated confidently.
After relinquishing the yellow jersey to Ben Healy of EF Education-EasyPost right before the first rest day, Pogacar now finds himself trailing Healy by 29 seconds in the general classification, with Vingegaard in fourth place, sitting 1 minute and 46 seconds off the yellow jersey and 1:13 behind Pogacar.
Meanwhile, the discussion around the potential tension and strategy was echoed on the cycling analysis show *The Breakaway*, where host Orla Chennaoui expressed approval at the insights into the perceived friction between the two teams. “That’s the insight we’ve been looking for. It does feel like what they [Visma] are trying to do, and there’s definitely a hint of irritation in Tadej’s interviews,” she mentioned, referring to his frustrations stretching back to the Criterium du Dauphine.
Prominent cycling analyst Robbie McEwen suggested that Visma might be applying a psychological tactic to unsettle Pogacar, positing that if traditional racing tactics fail to curb his performance, psychological warfare could become a tool of choice. “If it’s not working on the road, you’ve got to employ a bit of psychological warfare and hope to provoke an error from him,” McEwen opined.
While Pogacar has, so far, maintained a strong performance, underlying issues within his support system have raised concerns. The recent abandonment of his key mountain domestique, Joao Almeida, due to injury during Stage 9, combined with Pavel Sivakov’s struggles with illness, has left Pogacar more isolated heading into the critical stages of the race across the Massif Central.
Larry Warbasse weighed in on the situation, acknowledging that the pressure from Jumbo-Visma is palpable and might be leading to Pogacar’s irritations. However, he tempered that observation by emphasizing the Slovenian’s mental tenacity, stating, “Tadej is not only strong on the bike; he possesses a formidable mental fortitude as well. Beating someone of that caliber is no easy task.” Thus, as the competition intensifies, both riders will need to lean on not only their physical capabilities but also their psychological resilience to achieve victory in this thrilling Tour de France narrative.
