'I'd really like to excel in the Classics' – Vingegaard targets new horizons

Jonas Vingegaard (Visma | Lease a Bike) has admitted that he would “really like to excel in the Classics” in the coming years, after struggling to unlock the formula for one-day success.

The three-time Grand Tour winner has only started two one-day races since 2022, failing to finish either the Donostia Klasikoa San Sebastián in 2024 or the European Championships in 2025. Despite his 42 career victories, Vingegaard’s sole one-day triumph came at the 2022 Drôme Classic, the day after he rode the Faun-Ardèche Classic.

For a rider who has twice won the Tour de France and added a Vuelta a España title, it’s unsurprising that Vingegaard is not satisfied with his one-day record. It remains, as he admits, a puzzle he still wants to solve.

“I'd really like to excel in the Classics. But I haven't figured out how to perform in those kinds of races yet,” said Vingegaard in an interview with Wieler Revue.

The Dane suggested that part of the issue may lie in his approach to preparation, compared to the one-day specialists. “There are riders who ride for three hours at race pace the day before a major Classic. I don’t know if that’s the right recipe. Maybe I should test that approach,” he said.

With Tadej Pogačar (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) capable of winning across all terrains and throughout the season, comparisons between the two Grand Tour giants are inevitable. Yet Vingegaard refuses to measure himself against the World Champion.

"I don't take Tadej's participation into account. We're just focused on ourselves and have our own ambitions," said Vingegaard.

Vingegaard demonstrated in 2025 that he can physically and mentally handle multiple Grand Tours in a season, even if classics continue to elude him, having won the Vuelta a España after finishing runner-up at the Tour de France. "Before I got sick in the Vuelta, I was in absolute top form. It seems I could very well ride two Grand Tours in one year," said Vingegaard.

There have been plenty of rumblings that Vingegaard could make his debut at the Giro d’Italia in 2026, the only Grand Tour that is missing from his palmarès, which would mean a different build-up to the Tour de France, which always remains a crucial objective for the Dane and Visma | Lease a Bike.

Vingegaard also remained pragmatic about his future in the sport and the impact of competing at the highest level, having been one of the very best riders in the world for half a decade already at the age of 28.

"Will I still be racing at 36? That's still a long way off. I don't want to rule anything out, but I'm taking things as they come. If the moment comes that I no longer feel like it, then I'll stop."