After chasing overall victory at the Vuelta a España, Jonas Vingegaard will not head to the World Championships in Rwanda, instead opting for the challenging European Championships road race in France on October 5 as his season closer.
Vingegaard confirmed the news, speaking during his pre-Vuelta press conference on Thursday, as he prepares to start in Turin on August 23 as the heavy favourite to take home the red jersey.
He had originally been seen as one of the very few riders capable of preventing rival Tadej Pogačar from winning back-to-back rainbow jerseys, but with the uncertainty of racing two Grand Tours in one season, he has decided to start the later continental championships.
No, actually, yeah, we decided not to go to the Worlds. It doesn't really fit into the plans," said Vingegaard over a video call.
"We have decided, though, that we want to go for the Europeans instead. Of course, you need to be really fresh and everything to go to the World Championships this year – it really requires a lot from the rider who's participating.
"With not knowing how I'm going to come out of this Vuelta, and with how I experience it now, then we decided that it was better to to not do it and then say 'I still want to do the European Championships and that I can do that instead', then I'll have some time after the Vuelta to focus on that."
The European Championships are adding stars by the day, with the punchy course in France's Drôme department also set to feature Pogačar and Remco Evenepoel, and the road race looks set to be Vingegaard's final race for the season.
He confirmed that he would not be doing the time trial, nor challenging Pogačar at Il Lombardia, meaning they will have only raced each other at the Dauphiné, Tour, and Europeans once the calendar is up.
Pogačar isn't racing the Vuelta as was originally planned, instead focusing on conquering Kigali and defending his crowns at the GP Montréal and Il Lombardia. Vingegaard also said that while his absence in Spain could be a benefit, beating him would make it all the more sweet.
"I mean, of course it's, it's always nice to race against Tadej on one hand, but also on the other hand, it's also nice to race where he's not sometimes," said Vingegaard.
"Of course, you want to win no matter if he's he's there or not. But, of course, it makes it nicer to win when he's in the race as well."
Heading into the Vuelta as heavy favourite
Vingegaard prepared in Annecy for the Vuelta, with no altitude camp and only weeks to recover from the disappointment of the Tour, where he was well beaten to second by Pogačar for the second successive season.
He seems rejuvenated for this leadership charge at the Vuelta, though, despite suffering from illness briefly during his preparation.
"To be honest, I had a good training period. I did almost everything I wanted," said the Dabe, who was sitting with Visma's Head of Racing, Grischa Niermann, on the call.
"I just had a small, small setback, but that was really, a really minor and, yeah, I feel like the shape is good and I'm ready for the next three weeks of racing. I had a small, small sickness. But, as I said, it was very, very minor, and I don't feel like it affected me."
It almost feels like a must-win Vuelta for Vingegaard, given that he showed again at the Tour that he is clearly the second-best climber in the world. UAE Team Emirates-XRG will bring the challenge through two of Pogačar's teammates – João Almeida and Juan Ayuso – but Vingegaard isn't feeling the pressure.
"No, to be honest, I don't feel like there's more pressure. Because I think if you see it that the Tour de France is the race with the most media, the most everything, where there's actually the most pressure," he said.
"So compared to the Tour de France and what I've experienced there, it doesn't really feel like there's more pressure. Of course, I'm one of the big favourites here, so there is some pressure, but I'm just happy to be here and to go for the win.
"I came here to win the Vuelta – that's pretty clear. That's going to be my goal, of course, there can be different scenarios, but my goal and the team's goal is to win the Vuelta. If I do that, then it will be a success."
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