Bjarne Riis spots new hurdles for Vingegaard: "Visma | Lease a Bike is probably worried about that"

Will Jonas Vingegaard ride the Tour de France or not? It's the question on the lips of cycling-loving Denmark, and by extension, the whole world. The Dane of Visma | Lease a Bike is currently training at altitude in Tignes, but the final decision regarding his participation in La Grande Boucle has not yet been made.

In Denmark, the newspapers are constantly writing about it. Michael Rasmussen, as an ex-member of the predecessor of Visma | Lease a Bike, might not be entirely objective, and he has repeatedly criticized the Dutch team's communication regarding Vingegaard's form. Now that the team has provided more clarity through photos and videos, the second question arises: is the Tour realistic after that terrible crash in the Basque Country or not?

Bjarne Riis, with tons of experience as both a rider and a team manager, also notes some obstacles. "If Visma | Lease a Bike now says: he can maybe ride at 95 percent of his power and capacity, then they assume that he can grow to 98 percent and then 100 percent of his ability in the first two weeks of the Tour. That's how they calculate those things."

Riis: "How much time will Vingegaard lose to Pogacar in the first week?"

Riis continues: "The risk then is how much time he loses to Pogacar in the first week? If I were him, I would probably do everything from the start to be at the top and test him. And maybe Visma | Lease a Bike is also worried about that," the 1996 Tour de France winner tells BT.

The course favors Pogacar in the first few days, with two stages through the Italian hills that suit him well. A final decision regarding Vingegaard and his Tour de France plans is expected in the next two weeks.