Jonas Vingegaard thinks his Tour de France rival Tadej Pogačar will be "better than ever" this July as the pair prepare to face off once again in the battle for the yellow jersey.
The pair have dominated the recent history of the Tour, with Pogačar winning in 2020 and beating Vingegaard in 2021 before ceding the title to the Dane in 2022 and 2023. Last year, the Slovenian took his most dominant win yet, winning by 6:17 after Vingegaard's embattled preparation for the race.
Starting on Saturday in Lille, they'll resume their rivalry on the road to Paris. Pogačar seeks a fourth title to put him level with Chris Froome, one short of the all-time record, while Vingegaard is looking to equal Pogačar's total of three.
Speaking during Visma-Lease A Bike's pre-Tour altitude training camp in Sierra Nevada, Vingegaard said he's been concentrating on his own shape rather than worrying about any other riders. He did admit, though, that the world champion will be in even better form than he was last summer.
"I think he'll be better than ever at the Tour de France. So, obviously, I have to be better than ever too," Vingegaard told Spanish broadcaster RTVE.
"I think, overall, my entire engine is growing. I feel like I'm improving in every aspect. We're focussing on improving both in the sprint and in threshold and peak power. So, as I said before, I feel like I'm improving in every aspect."
Vingegaard has only raced against Pogačar once so far in 2025, finishing second behind him at the Critérium du Dauphiné. He gained time in the mid-race time trial but lost far more in the mountains during the race's final weekend.
Both he and Pogačar lie among the best Grand Tour riders in history, though Pogačar's run of results since the start of 2024 – including the Giro, Tour, World Championships, four Monuments, and three WorldTour stage races – sets him apart as one of the best racers in history.
Vingegaard, who keeps his focus on stage racing rather than including one-day races, acknowledged that his rival is "one of the best in history" before reiterating that he's been focussing on himself on the run-in to their latest showdown.
"I know that if I want to win the Tour de France, I have to beat Tadej, and I know he's probably one of the best in history," Vingegaard said.
"To do that, you have to train every day. Of course, when I go out every day, I focus more on myself, I focus on how to reach the best level possible, but yes, I also know that, in general, if I want to win the Tour de France, I have to beat him, too."
Vingegaard is already level on official Tour de France victories with his childhood idol, Alberto Contador. He told RTVE that he greatly admired Contador's style, the Spaniard going down as one of the most attacking racers of recent Tour history.
While he may not emulate Contador's trademark victory celebration in the mountains of France this summer, he'll certainly have to conjure up similar accelerations if he's to beat Pogačar and pick up another Tour title.
"My idol when I was a kid was Alberto Contador," Vingegaard said. "I always liked his racing style; I liked the way he always attacked and wasn't afraid of anything. And, honestly, I think when you talk about who is the best of all time, it's a difficult question. But I think Tadej is undoubtedly among the best."
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