Jonas Vingegaard targets Tour de France and Giro d'Italia glory in 2026 after La Vuelta triumph - 'I have my wishes'
Published 06/10/2025 at 23:32 GMT+1
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Jonas Vingegaard admitted he wants to ride next year’s Giro d'Italia and challenge Tadej Pogacar in the 2026 Tour de France, after winning last month's La Vuelta. It was the Dane's first Grand Tour win since breaking several ribs, his collarbone and suffering a collapsed lung in a crash at the 2024 Itzulia Basque Country. Watch and stream top cycling action live on TNT Sports and discovery+
Highlights: Pogacar dominates again with solo attack to win European title
Video credit: TNT Sports
Jonas Vingegaard admitted he wants to ride next year’s Giro d'Italia and challenge Tadej Pogacar in the 2026 Tour de France.
While much of the peloton will be preparing themselves for Il Lombardia, the final Monument of the season, Vingegaard (Visma-Lease a Bike) has no more races scheduled in 2025, and is already looking to next season.
"I already said in the Vuelta that I would like to [ride the Giro next year], but it's not just me, it's also what the team wants," Vingegaard told Danish outlet TV 2 Sport.
"It is clear that I have my wishes, but we also have to look at it as a team, what our goals will be for next season.
"I also think that the Tour will still be the big goal, and it will be pretty much every year, as long as I'm riding and can compete for victory. So we'll see what happens."
In September, Vingegaard won La Vuelta, his first Grand Tour victory since breaking several ribs, his collarbone and suffering a collapsed lung in a crash at the 2024 Itzulia Basque Country.
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‘It really affected me’ - Vingegaard overcomes illness to win Stage 20 of La Vuelta
Video credit: TNT Sports
It was a triumph, which, by the Dane’s own admission, closed the gap between the 28-year-old and Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates-XRG), the most dominant rider in men’s racing over the past few seasons.
However, Vingegaard expects more than a Vuelta triumph, describing his year as "not the best I’ve had, but not the worst either."
"My big goal was to win the Tour de France, and unfortunately I didn't," he admitted. "But I won the Vuelta, and I'm extremely proud of that.
"So I think it's been a good season overall. Not the best I've had, but not the worst either. I think I can be happy with how I've ridden this year".
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Race winner Tadej Pogacar and Team Slovenia reacts after the 31st UEC Road Cycling European Championships 2025 - Men's Elite Road Race a 202.5km race from Privas to Guilherand-Granges on October 05, 2025 in Guilherand-Granges, France.
Image credit: Getty Images
Vingegaard on European Championships
Vingegaard had been among the favourites to win the road race at the UEC European Championships in Guilherand-Granges, only to be unceremoniously dropped from the race with around 110km to ride.
Pogacar ultimately raced to his maiden European title, just one week after retaining the world title.
"I have to admit that I had to take more time off the bike than I had hoped. It took me almost two weeks before I was really back on track and able to train again," Vingegaard told Feltet.dk.
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"It wasn't because I didn't want to, but it was because I couldn't. I don't know if that was decisive for what happened today, or if it was just the fatigue that's in the body. I've not had the best preparation for this. It was more to try to see if I could do a race – and to compete in the national colours.
"I had hoped for more, but sometimes you don't have the day – and I didn't have that today. So the question is whether it was a bad day for certain reasons, because I've had a tough schedule, or whether the form is just not there. I don't know. But the day wasn't there."
Vingegaard concluded: "If I prepare well enough, I can also compete for victory in these races."
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