Jonas Vingegaard has acknowledged he has work to do to reach his top level but insisted that Paris-Nice is not one of his "absolute main goals" after he suffered another defeat at the hands of his Tour de France rival Tadej Pogačar.
After cracking on the slopes of La Loges des Gardes on stage 4, Vingegaard hit out for revenge on Paris-Nice's stage 7 summit finish, faring better but still having to watch Pogačar skip clear for a second stage victory.
Jumbo-Visma laid the foundations for a Vingegaard assault on the yellow jersey, with Nathan van Hooydonck pulling in the valley and Tobias Foss dictating for almost 10km of the 15.7km final climb.
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However, when Foss pulled aside, Vingegaard's opening salvo was quickly turned against him by Pogačar and he spent the closing kilometres grimly trying to cling to contention.
After seemingly imploding on stage 4, Vingegaard never lost his way on the Col de la Couillole, unable to live with the sharp accelerations from Pogačar and Vingegaard but grinding his way back repeatedly. He rejoined for the final kick but had to settle for third place.
“The gears were a bit too powerful for me today. I decided to go at my own pace. That went well. I was able to return after every attack, which in any case gives confidence," Vingegaard said.
"But I also know that I still have to improve this season. This race is not one of the absolute main goals of this season, so there is still time to achieve that."
Vingegaard, like Pogačar, had started the season in flying fashion with three stage wins and the overall title at Gran Camiño. However, he appears a step or two behind the Slovenian at Paris-Nice, even if he knows the Tour de France is still months away.
Pogačar, who has goals in the Classics this Spring, extended his overall lead at Paris-Nice to 12 seconds over David Gaudu, with Vingegaard still third but now at 58 seconds.
The final opportunity for the unlikeliest of comebacks comes on the notoriously tricky final stage in the hills behind Nice on Sunday.
“There is another stage tomorrow. A lot can still happen there, so I certainly won't bury the hatchet," Vingegaard said.
"I will keep fighting for it.”
