Star riders Jonas Vingegaard and Tadej Pogacar will battle for more than just the lustre of the 2024 Tour de France title when they start the race in Florence on Saturday. Both will be competing to become only the ninth man to brandish a third crown in the event’s 111-year history. Only five have gone on to win more.
Pogacar stormed to the title in 2020 and repeated the feat in 2021. Vingegaard has claimed the spoils since.
Were Vingegaard to emerge victorious after the final stage in Nice on 21 July, he would join Louison Bobet, Chris Froome, Miguel Indurain, Eddie Merckx and Jacques Anquetil in the pantheon of riders to have won three on the trot.
Before such laurels, a couple of thousand kilometres need to be negotiated over 21 stages from Florence taking in punishing mountain climbs and the verdant, rolling plains of the French countryside.
Vingegaard must battle too with questions over his fitness after breaking his collar bone and several ribs in a crash during the Tour of the Basque Country in April.
“Of course, we don’t know how far he can go yet,” said Merijn Zeeman, the Visma-Lease a Bike sporting director. “We are being cautious. His preparation for the Tour de France has been less than ideal, to say the least.”
But Vingegaard vowed to overcome his ailments in pursuit of kudos. “We have worked together to get to this moment and, of course, I am very excited to see where I stand. I feel good and very motivated.”
Last year, it was Pogacar who entered the Tour de France recovering from a broken wrist.
