<\/p>\n
He added that the experience forced a shift in how he approaches the road: \u201cAfter the crash I\u2019m more worried about safety. Before I was unconscious: I believed nothing would ever happen to me.\u201d<\/p>\n
Pressure, burnout and returning to top form<\/p>\n
Despite the lingering effects of that crash a year and a half ago, Vingegaard believes he has worked his way back to the same physical level he held beforehand: \u201cBefore my crash I was on a very steep upward curve. Since then we have worked to get back to the same level I had before, and I think that\u2019s where I am now. I hope I can return to that upward curve and improve further.\u201d<\/p>\n
He also spoke openly about the mental strain of modern cycling, arguing that today\u2019s environment demands more than any previous era: \u201cWith what is happening in cycling today, I do not think we will see races as long as before. There is a lot of pressure, lots of data, lots of coaches all the time. It is very demanding. It would be good to think more about the mental side\u2026 Not every day you have to be perfect. Sometimes it is okay to have a beer, or a glass of wine, to be with friends. That is part of life too.\u201d<\/p>\n
Even with that added pressure, the Tour de France<\/a> remains his ultimate target: \u201cThe Tour de France is so big that, if you have even a small opportunity, you want to go for it.\u201dGiro rumours, Tour\u2013Vuelta plans and long-term goalsOn suggestions he might line up at the 2026 Giro d’Italia<\/a>, Vingegaard kept things deliberately vague: \u201cI can\u2019t comment on anything for now. We haven\u2019t decided what we\u2019re going to do next year.\u201d He did, however, reaffirm his fondness for the Tour\u2013Vuelta double, calling it a rhythm that has always suited him.<\/p>\n Asked which single race he would most like to win before retiring, he answered without hesitation: \u201cI think I would prefer the Giro d\u2019Italia.\u201d<\/p>\n And looking further ahead, his priorities are shifting: \u201cFirst, spend time with my family and my children. It is something I am missing a lot now. That will be my priority.\u201d<\/p>\n He also kept his short-term ambitions deliberately simple: \u201cI would be very happy if I could have a season without breaks.\u201d<\/p>\n Still dreaming big \u2013 but with clearer eyes<\/p>\n Despite the risks he now acknowledges more readily, Vingegaard remains driven by the same long-term ambition: to one day conquer all three Grand Tours. And on the recurring question of how to beat Tadej Pogacar, his answer stayed true to his understated mindset: \u201cThe strongest man wins a Tour.\u201d<\/p>\n A reminder that, even with a heightened sense of danger and the scars of a major crash behind him, he remains grounded, ambitious, and fully aware of the realities of a sport that gets faster \u2013 and riskier \u2013 every year.<\/p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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