{"id":568063,"date":"2026-05-05T21:08:09","date_gmt":"2026-05-05T21:08:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/568063\/"},"modified":"2026-05-05T21:08:09","modified_gmt":"2026-05-05T21:08:09","slug":"its-not-the-best-preparation-for-the-tour-de-france-alberto-contador-on-jonas-vingegaards-giro-tour-decision","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/568063\/","title":{"rendered":"\u201cIt\u2019s not the best preparation for the Tour de France\u201d- Alberto Contador on Jonas Vingegaard’s Giro-Tour decision"},"content":{"rendered":"

Spanish legend and multi-time Grand Tour winner, Alberto Contador<\/a>, unpacked the challenge of doubling up the Giro d\u2019Italia and the Tour de France<\/a> in the same season. He believes that Jonas Vingegaard<\/a> is going to struggle getting into the latter with his best form because of his schedule.<\/p>\n

Speaking as someone who knows the demands of three-week races, he is highly skeptical that this combination truly benefits performance at the Tour. For the current Eurosport pundit, today\u2019s high-performance paradigm has reshaped preparation, shifting emphasis away from traditional race days toward the moment to measure workload through specific training.<\/p>\n

In that vein, the rider from Madrid underlines that modern cycling prioritizes controlled training loads, something that becomes volatile\u2014and hard to quantify\u2014once a three-week race is added to the mix. Diving into the technical side, Contador stresses that contemporary sport is built on meticulous planning, with altitude camps and performance data as two core pillars.<\/p>\n


\nMillimetre-precise workload control<\/p>\n

As the Polti general manager explains: \u201cWe\u2019re living a brand of cycling today where training camps are everything, everything is measured in detail, but when you go to a race like the Giro d\u2019Italia you can\u2019t truly measure your efforts in detail.\u201d<\/p>\n

Jonas Vingegaard goes into the Corsa Rosa as the man to beat<\/a>, and in an ideal scenario, would repeat the performances of Tadej Pogacar in 2024 – where he was unmatched in the fight for the overall win. However, that is not something that Vingegaard is in control of, and in any situation the Giro will be very demanding.<\/p>\n

This loss of control over physical fatigue, in his view, jeopardizes recovery for any rider\u2014in this case, Jonas Vingegaard. He acknowledges exceptional cases such as Tadej Pogacar, who held form throughout, yet he stands by the idea that other preparatory routes are better suited for July.<\/p>\n

The risk of missing peak form at the key moment of the season is the main reason Contador advises against combining both Grand Tours.<\/p>\n

\"Jonas<\/p>\n

Vingegaard and Pogacar at the Tour de France 2025<\/p>\n

Pogacar\u2019s double, a rare precedent<\/p>\n

On that point, the former pro does not budge, stating that \u201cI don\u2019t think it\u2019s better. At best you\u2019re taking a risk that you won\u2019t recover in time to arrive in optimal condition.\u201d <\/p>\n

Cumulative fatigue and the recovery window between both races are factors that can penalize even the strongest riders in the bunch. However, modern standards of racing give way for more innovation to succeed. Whilst Pogacar performed at his very best in both Grand Tours two years ago; Paul Seixas at age 19 is also entering the Tour with podium ambitions despite being the youngest rider to start it in almost 100 years.<\/p>\n

It is an era where what was previously thought to be impossible is now possible, and Vingegaard is simultaneously going to try and conclude his mission of winning all Grand Tours in his career.<\/p>\n

\u201cHonestly, I don\u2019t consider it the best preparation for the Tour de France,” Contador argues. Despite positive precedents from the UAE Team Emirates leader, the Madrilenian insists that, physiologically and strategically, it is not ideal. He leaves the door open to see how other leaders, such as Visma\u2019s Jonas Vingegaard, manage the challenge at the upcoming Giro d\u2019Italia.<\/p>\n

\ud83c\udf99\ufe0f La reflexi\u00f3n de Alberto Contador, en Eurosport, sobre hacer el doblete Giro-Tour de Francia:<\/p>\n

“En todo caso es correr un riesgo, y es que no puedas recuperar en tiempo para llegar en \u00f3ptimas condiciones” pic.twitter.com\/JxFzBQfjTI<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Eurosport.es (@Eurosport_ES) May 5, 2026<\/a>