What are the Odds On Jonas Vingegaard Defending His Tour De France Title?
It’s hard to think of any previous Tour de France winners that have been as reserved as Jonas Vingegaard. After riding down the Champs-Élysées to win the 109th edition of the Tour de France in 2022, Vingeraard went back to Denmark and for all intents and purposes, disappeared for the rest of the year.
Naturally, having been out of the public eye for as long as the 26-year-old has and with the lack of competitive riding, questions are being asked about his chances of defending the title he won in 2023.
Current outright markets
The reassuring news for the Danish cyclist’s fans is that at a price of 13/10 in the latest outright sport betting odds for the upcoming Tour de France, Vingegaard remains the favourite, alongside Tadej Pogacar, to win the event. The question is, is this a realistic outcome?
A storm in a teacup
Vingegaard will tell you that there is every chance that he will retain the title he won in Paris and that any speculation about exhaustion following the 2022 event is a storm in a teacup. In particular, the Dane has been at pains to say that his absence from the public eye has more to do with enjoying his success in an environment he calls home.
What a ride. What a stage.
Jonas Vingegaard ⚡️⚡️#TDF2022 pic.twitter.com/ZRlV7JcsGT
— UCI (@UCI_cycling) July 13, 2022
Whilst that is perfectly understandable and indeed well deserved, you can also appreciate why there have been a few eyebrows raised after Vingegaard missed the Tour of Denmark. Being his home race, his participation was naturally seen by locals as a chance to celebrate with the fans after accomplishing the extraordinary feat of winning the Tour de France.
The back-breaking effort that goes into winning the Tour de France
The reality is that there are only three weeks between the end of the Tour de France and the start of the Tour of Denmark. With this in mind and taking into consideration that riders participating in the showdown in France have to complete 2200 miles in just 23 days, it becomes easier to understand why Vingegaard choose to skip the event in Denmark.
A matter of perspective
In fact, you could look at Vingegaard’s scheduling differently in the sense that having taken his time to recover after winning in France, he is well positioned to defend his title in 2023 owing to how fresh he will be at the Grand Départ on July 1st.
Taking on the challenge💪 @rogla and Jonas Vingegaard will be our leaders for this year’s Tour de France💛 pic.twitter.com/ATurROWF6s
— Team Jumbo-Visma cycling (@JumboVismaRoad) January 11, 2022
When all is said and done, the Tour de France is the overwhelming priority for any professional cyclist given how life-changing a win ultimately proves to be. With this being the case, Vingegaard’s decision to lay low towards the back of 2022 and the start of 2023 may be the catalyst that sparked his title defense.
In short, this is a man who knows that he is at the peak of his powers yet also understands how quickly long-term exhaustion can come in if he overextends himself.
Of course, the temptation would be to try and win every global tour now he is at the summit of the sport but that would come at the cost of the greatest prize in cycling. Admittedly, his scheduling may have upset his home fans but should Vingegaard be crowned the Tour de France winner in late July, all will be forgotten with everyone, in all likelihood, ready to complement his well-thought-through strategy.
