Tour de France 2025: Pogacar and Vingegaard ready to reignite iconic rivalry

It’s cycling’s most compelling modern rivalry — and it’s far from over.

Tadej Pogacar and Jonas Vingegaard, who have traded blows, yellow jerseys and psychological jabs over the past five Tours, will clash again as the 2025 edition gets under way on Saturday. But while they’ve shared the spoils in recent years, their methods — and mindsets — could not be more different.

Here’s a closer look at the strengths and weaknesses that could shape yet another classic showdown.

Ammunition box
The opening 10 days of the 2025 route revisit the scene of Pogacar’s second Tour victory, winding through the narrow, unpredictable roads of Normandy and Brittany. As 2018 champion Geraint Thomas once warned: “Something will happen to somebody, it always does here.” He ended up being that somebody.

But Pogacar thrives in chaos. The Slovenian has proven time and again he can handle all types of terrain — from cobbles to climbs to tricky crosswinds. His explosive acceleration often wins him bonus seconds in two-man duels, much to Vingegaard’s frustration.

With 99 wins already, the 26-year-old who once raced his older brother up Slovenian hills now races to unsettle the best in the world. He prefers to ride near the front of the peloton, staying out of trouble while keeping himself in prime position for sudden, often devastating attacks.

Achilles heel
It’s hard to find many flaws in Pogacar’s armour, but heat is a clear factor. He doesn’t always perform at his peak when the temperatures soar.
Also, on long, mountainous stages with multiple major climbs, he has occasionally faded — most notably when Vingegaard capitalised to take Tour wins in the past. When the sun blazes and the gradients bite, Pogacar has shown signs of cracking.

Ammunition box
Jonas Vingegaard’s biggest strength might not even be himself — it’s the well-drilled Visma machine he rides with, led by his super-domestique and fellow powerhouse Wout van Aert. “Possibly the best rider in the world,” Vingegaard has called him.

Van Aert may not conquer the steepest slopes, but he can control the race for long stretches — as he did at the Giro this season, dragging Simon Yates three minutes clear of rivals before dropping back and letting Yates go on to win.

Vingegaard’s style is built on patience and precision. His team dissects the route months in advance, identifying perfect launch points. His downhill attacks in 2023, especially during the time-trial and the mountain stage that followed, were masterclasses in timing and control.

Despite growing up on Denmark’s windswept coast, Vingegaard shines in searing heat — a key edge over Pogacar. He’s also a fearless descender, once famously overtaking Pogacar at such speed that the Slovenian crashed trying to follow. Vingegaard waited for his rival to recover — a moment of sportsmanship, but also psychological strength.

Achilles heel
The Dane is a creature of habit. He thrives on structure and clarity. Sudden changes — like the unexpected addition of Montmartre to this year’s route — can throw him off.
“It’ll be stressful. It’s not a good idea,” he said on hearing about the late-stage shake-up. That kind of mental static, more than any attack, could be his undoing.

As the 2025 Tour rolls out, Pogacar and Vingegaard bring not just talent but drama. One is spontaneous, the other surgical. One races from the heart, the other from the head. But both are obsessed with victory.

Their rivalry has already defined this era of cycling. This summer, it could elevate it.

— With inputs from AFP