Visma admit missing key Vingegaard data as 2027 Tour route presents new challenge

The 2027 Tour de France route was presented in Paris on Thursday, revealing a course with 71 kilometres of individual time trialling, six mountain stages and just three summit finishes.

For Visma, the route presents a different challenge in their pursuit of Tadej Pogačar and even Remco Evenepoel and Paul Siexas. The two lengthy time trials could prove particularly significant, as could the days of intense racing in the first week, while the reduced number of summit finishes may limit the opportunities for the pure climbers to make their mark.

Speaking to TV2, Plugge was reluctant to draw immediate conclusions about the parcours.

"We have to work with the parcours that is there. And if this is it, then we need to find a way to use it as best as possible," he said.

"There are also two big time trials, so we have to work on that and on the whole parcours with the whole team. Like I said, we have to analyse it first and then talk about it."

Reef, however, was more outspoken about the balance of the route.

"At first glance, it looks like a fairly balanced route, with several flat sprint stages, explosive finales and tough mountain stages," he said in a statement published on the team's website.

"The two long, relatively flat time trials stand out in particular. It's been a long time since we've had that in the Tour. Compared to last year, I count fewer summit finishes, and in my opinion, there could have been more."

Beyond the route itself, Visma face another important decision concerning Vingegaard's preparation for next season.

The Dane tackled the Giro d'Italia ahead of the Tour de France in 2026, departing from his usual approach to the summer's biggest race. But whether that experiment will be repeated remains uncertain. 

He won the Giro comfortably, beating Felix Gall by over five minutes and was able to manage his effort across the three weeks. Visma won the opening team time trial at the Tour in Barcelona but then Vingegaard lost 2:38 to Pogačar on the stage over the Col du Tourmalet. Vingegaard was second but 4:30 down on the Slovenian when he crashed out on stage 15.

According to Plugge, Visma were encouraged by Vingegaard's physical condition during both Grand Tours but his crash during the Tour made it difficult to determine how effective the preparation had been.

"Really good. He was really in good shape," Plugge said when asked what the team had learned from the Giro-Tour combination.

"Obviously, he had a big, big crash unfortunately, so he could not show ultimately how it worked out in the last week. That was obviously the big challenge and the big question going forward."

The biggest frustration, according to Plugge, is that the team never received a complete picture of how Vingegaard's body responded to racing both Grand Tours.

"To do a proper analysis, it's more or less difficult because we missed, let's say, from stage 15 onwards, we missed some data."

That leaves Visma with an unresolved question. Vingegaard appeared to be in strong condition, but without the final week of racing, the team cannot properly assess whether the Giro provided the ideal preparation for the Tour.

Plugge left the door open to whether Vingegaard could return to the Giro before targeting the Tour in 2027.

"Again, it's October. We are now in the process of analysing everything, evaluating, speaking with Jonas, speaking with all the other riders, speaking with the coaches and sports directors," he said.

"It's something we will decide in the coming weeks, together."

One of the most striking features of the 2027 route is the amount of individual time trialling.

The riders will face a 38km test from Blois to Chambord on stage 7, followed by another 33km around Toulouse on stage 16. It is the highest combined time trial distance at the Tour since 2012 when proven time trialist Bradley Wiggins won the Tour.

That could offer Remco Evenepoel, runner-up to Pogačar in 2026, an opportunity to gain time on his rivals.

Reef acknowledged the importance of the two stages but also stressed that Visma have also invested heavily in the discipline.

"Time trialing is a discipline we work on extensively and invest a lot in. We're generally very strong in this area, and we have several specialists on the team. These races against the clock will play a major role in the general classification."

Despite his preference for more summit finishes, Reef believes there are still opportunities for Visma to make the difference in the mountains. The first major climbing test comes on stage 9 at the Grand Colombier, followed by a demanding Alpine stage to Les Saisies two days later.

The final week includes the formidable stage 18 to the Col du Portet, where riders will tackle the Col du Tourmalet and a total of 5,400 metres of elevation gain.

"That's where the race will be decided," Reef predicted.

The Head of Racing also highlighted the opening stages in Great Britain and France, where explosive finishes and difficult terrain could create unexpected gaps among the general classification contenders.

While Visma have yet to settle on Vingegaard's programme, Plugge made clear that the Tour de France remains central to the team's ambitions.

"Tour de France is always a big objective," he said.

"Obviously, it's the biggest race in the world. And for us as a team, we will look into how we can best manage that and then try to make it as successful as possible."

Reef was similarly optimistic about Visma's prospects, even if the route was not exactly what he had hoped for.

"It looks like a route that should suit several of our riders very well. Our task now is to analyse the route thoroughly and use that analysis to develop a plan that gives us the best possible chance of success as a team."

"One thing is certain: this route offers us plenty of opportunities to achieve great things."

For now, Visma have two decisions to make: how to approach a Tour with unusually long time trials and fewer summit finishes, and whether Vingegaard should once again take on the Giro before heading to France.

With the team still missing answers from its 2026 experiment, neither question has been settled.