Jonas Vingegaard led his team, Visma-Lease a Bike, to a dominant performance on stage one of the Tour de France, taking advantage of crosswinds to gain time on several rivals. The Danish rider’s aggressive attack put him and his teammate Matteo Jorgenson in front of the pack, with Tiesj Benoot and Edoardo Affini also contributing to the effort.
Despite losing 39 seconds to leaders Remco Evenepoel and Primož Roglič, Vingegaard’s team ultimately secured a near-perfect day. Visma-Lease a Bike had planned to accelerate at kilometre 164, which they did successfully with Pogačar’s lieutenant Tim Wellens joining them in the front echelon.
The stage winner, Jasper Philipsen, helped ensure the effort split the peloton and worked well for Vingegaard’s team. Pogačar, however, struggled to make an impact despite being well-prepared. Visma-Lease a Bike’s Head of Racing Grischa Niermann praised his team’s performance, acknowledging that Pogačar was the only obstacle to their plan.
The team will aim to continue their momentum in the next 10 days, with Vingegaard’s Classics specialists set to play a key role. The time gap between Visma-Lease a Bike and second-placed Simon Yates is significant, making it an uphill battle for the Danish team to regain lost ground.
Source: https://www.cyclingnews.com/news/its-so-against-his-nature-but-hes-super-strong-jonas-vingegaard-and-visma-lease-a-bike-light-up-tour-de-france-opener-in-crosswinds