'I've closed the gap to him' - Vingegaard ready to battle Pogacar in 2026
Jonas Vingegaard believes his Vuelta a España victory has brought him closer to rival Tadej Pogacar, as the Danish rider secured his third Grand Tour title of his career in Madrid on Sunday.
The 2025 Vuelta champion expressed confidence that his performance levels are approaching those of the Slovenian star, who has defeated him in the last two editions of the Tour de France in 2025 and 2024.
"It's clear that I had some bad days in the Tour, which I still struggle to explain. However, when I was on my game, he couldn't ride away from me, so I feel I've closed the gap to him from last year," Vingegaard said in an interview after the Vuelta with Feltet.dk.
When asked if his Vuelta victory had given him hope for challenging next season, Vingegaard responded positively but noted the Tour had already provided encouragement.
"Yes, I think so. But I also believe the Tour de France gave me some belief and hope," he said.
Vingegaard finished in 2nd place in the general classification at the 2025 Tour, 4:24 behind Tadej Pogačar.
The Visma | Lease a Bike leader acknowledged facing challenges during the Vuelta, attributing temporary struggles to illness before recovering towards the end of the grand tour to show his true capabilities, as he did on the Bola del Mundo on Stage 20.
"I believe that when I was at my level in the Vuelta, I also demonstrated a really high quality of racing," Vingegaard added after Sunday's podium ceremony.
This latest success adds to Vingegaard's impressive grand tour, which now includes two Tour de France titles, where he beat Pogačar in 2022 and 2023, alongside his 2025 Vuelta crown.
It remains to be seen how the 2026 Tour will go, which is likely the next time the iconic duo will battle it out against each other, but at this moment in time, Vingegaard certainly has some ground to make up on Pogačar if the two previous Tours are anything to go by.
