Vingegaard aims for Vuelta title with Pogacar skipping race

Jonas Vingegaard has his sights set on a first Grand Tour title in two years when the Spanish Vuelta starts on Saturday, with top rival Tadej Pogacar skipping the mountainous three-week race.

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Vingegaard won the Tour de France in 2022 and 2023 but has found himself continually finishing behind Pogacar ever since recovering from a gruesome crash during the Tour of Basque Country in Spain in April 2024.

That accident left him with a collapsed lung and a broken collarbone, among other injuries. Rather miraculously he was back in action at the Tour a couple of months later, but Vingegaard has finished the sport's elite race as runner-up behind Pogacar for two years running.

The 28-year-old Dane is now expected by many to take his first Vuelta title, especially with four-time winner Primoz Roglic also sitting this edition out.

"I'm a favorite, so there's pressure, but I'm just happy to be here and to go for the win," Vingegaard said Thursday. "(I) had a good training period, with the best preparation I could have. I feel the shape is good."