Richard Plugge , manager of the Visma-Lease A Bike team, throws down the gauntlet ahead of the 2025 Tour de France, claiming that Jonas Vingegaard will be the strongest rider over the three weeks of the race.

The Dane, already a two-time winner of the Grande Boucle, is preparing to face Tadej Pogačar in what promises to be one of the most anticipated duels of the season . Although the Slovenian dominated 2024 with 32 victories, including the Tour, Giro, World Championships and four Monuments, Plugge remains convinced of his captain's superiority in the stage races.

' You can say that Pogačar is stronger on courses like the Tour of Flanders, but here we are talking about a three-week race. And in our opinion Jonas is better at this, at managing the accumulation of fatigue ,' Plugge told WielerFlits.

Both champions are intensifying their preparation at altitude in the Sierra Nevada, in Spain, with their respective teams. Their return to racing is scheduled for June at the Critérium du Dauphiné, the last preparatory race before the Tour.

While Pogačar has impressed in this early 2025 with seven victories in 14 days of racing, including the UAE Tour, Strade Bianche, Flanders, Flèche Wallonne and Liège, Vingegaard has followed a more limited program , winning the Algarve before having to abandon Paris-Nice with a crash and subsequent concussion.

'Jonas has gained minutes on Pogačar for two years in a row. We have made important progress compared to last year and I have no reason to doubt that we can aim for the yellow jersey again'

concluded a confident Plugge.