The headlines last Monday were bombastic about Tadej Pogacar’s showing in the Tour of Flanders. It was not be for lowerly. The Slovenian also took all the covers a month ago after a Paris-Nice in which he tortured and shook the champion who defeated him in the 2022 Tour de France. The charisma of his great rival does not stop growing. These global compliments have been food for Jonas Vingegaard, who arrived at the Tour of the Basque Country touched by his pride, wanting to vindicate himself, needing to show all his potential and his voracity, that when he is full they are not so far away nor are they so different from those of Pogacar. The Jumbo leader demanded the respect he deserves with a spectacular ride in the last 28 km of the sixth and final stage of Itzulia to end the race in style.
Three stages and the general takes Euskadi Vingegaard, who feels good running on Spanish roads. In February he already did the same (three partial victories and the overall) in O Gran Camiño Galician. And it is an important fact because on July 1 the 2023 Tour starts in Bilbao and will have three nervous and hectic stages through the Basque Country. The Dane has had an intensive course this week and will be full of confidence, after mastering him in April.
After two days, Wednesday and Thursday, beating Mikel Landa in the last meters and almost at the sprint, Vingegaard gave free rein to his adventurous spirit and gave the Basque fans a festive finale that celebrated on the climb to Izua, the port where he attacked to free everyone from the wheel. He was already the leader – he had a 13s advantage over the Bahrain player from Alava – and could have opted for a more conservative tactic, but Vingegaard, sometimes calculating, also knows how to run with his heart and to put on a show.
The Dane culminated a phenomenal strategy by his team, Jumbo-Visma, which embedded two cyclists at the start of the day’s break. The presence of the Hungarian Valter and the Dutchman Kruijswijk at the forefront allowed the team not to have to pull or work for most of the stage, with seven climbs, three in the First Division, and several hills. That punishment of controlling differences fell on Bahrain, especially on the Austrian Pernsteiner, while Oomen and Leemreize, Vingegaard’s gregarious, were calm, protecting their leader.
Everything was calculated. And when the key moment arrived in Izua, the last one in the First category, and the winner of the Tour accelerated, first Valter and then Kruijswijk acted as a bridge until the Dane launched his devastating demarcation.
For the first time in this Itzulia, Landa was unable to respond to the leader’s attack, who went alone without caring that he had to complete the last 28 km alone. Enric Mas (Movistar) was only timidly able to follow him at the start. Afterwards, the distance did not stop increasing. He crowned with 44 seconds, touched the minute and a half after risking the descents and at the finish line it ended up being 47s because the Dane relaxed to celebrate the victory. It is not usual for him but he allowed himself to let go of both hands and raise his arms. Here is Vingegaard. Now, unlike Pogacar who wants to run three classics like the Amstel, the Fleche Wallonne and the Liège, the Jumbo cyclist will disappear and train until the Dauphiné, in June, to continue improving his set-up. At this level, Vingegaard has not said the last word about him ahead of the Tour. His great rival has been warned.
