Pogačar vs Vingegaard: From Two Consecutive Tour de France Runner-Up Finishes to the Century-Defining Rivalry Back at the Summit of Five Titles

In Taiwanese cycling groups, whenever “the greatest rivalry of the modern era” comes up, the answers almost always converge on the same pair of names: Tadej Pogačar and Jonas Vingegaard. The two have hunted each other down for years on the biggest stage of the Tour de France, turning a three-week Grand Tour into a long-running drama full of low points, comebacks, and reversals.

1. The Beginning: Two Years of Dominance, Then a Wall

Pogačar’s Tour de France story started almost too smoothly. In 2020 and 2021, he not only took the overall title but also wore the polka dot jersey and the white jersey in the same editions, becoming the only rider in history to sweep all three classifications in a single Tour—and he did it twice in a row.

In terms Taiwanese cyclists would recognize, it’s like topping the Wuling climb leaderboard, the flat sprint leaderboard, and the newcomer rankings all on the same day. At the time, the general consensus was that the next decade would hold few surprises.

Then came 2022. Vingegaard won the Tour de France overall, with Pogačar finishing as runner-up. In 2023, the same script played out again: Vingegaard took the title once more, and Pogačar was second again.

Two consecutive years, the same opponent, the same position.

2. Why “Two Straight Years as Runner-Up” Is Actually the Key

Here’s a point worth pondering for Taiwanese cyclists: a low point is what defines a rider.

Before this, Pogačar’s image was close to “unsolvable.” After being stopped by Vingegaard two years in a row, the story became completely different—he was no longer the genius rolling over everything in his path, but a man who had been beaten twice by a concrete, real opponent of equal strength.

And that is precisely the necessary condition for a great rivalry. A true rivalry is never one-sided; it requires both parties to be capable of pushing the other to the limit, and to have actually succeeded in doing so. Vingegaard did it, and he did it twice.

3. The Reversal: From Second Place Back to Yellow

Starting in 2024, the scales tipped again. Pogačar reclaimed the Tour de France overall title, and in 2024 he completed the “triple crown” of the Giro d’Italia, the Tour de France, and the Road World Championships, becoming only the 3rd rider in history to do so.

In 2025 he won again, and in the same year he also defended his Road World Championship title—becoming the first rider in history to successfully defend both the Tour and the World Championships in the same year. His 100th career victory also happened to fall on Stage 4 of the 2025 Tour.

In 2026, he claimed his 5th Tour de France overall title, joining the five-time club alongside Jacques Anquetil, Eddy Merckx, Bernard Hinault, and Miguel Indurain. From “losing to the same man two years in a row” to “the 5th rider ever to win five titles” took only a few years.

At the 2026 Tour, Vingegaard still took Stage 1. That detail matters: he never disappeared.

4. Why This Is Considered One of the Greatest Rivalries of the Modern Era

First, both sides have genuinely won. This isn’t one dominant champion surrounded by a pack of also-rans; it’s two men who have each stood at the highest point of the Tour.

Second, their styles mirror each other. Pogačar is known for aggressive attacks and launching moves from long range (in 2026 he took 5 stage wins at the Tour: S3, S6, S10, S14, S19, with S14 secured by a 7.2 km solo breakaway over the Col du Galibier). Vingegaard, by contrast, is the type who can grind an opponent down over the long attrition of a three-week race. This “attacker vs. absorber” combination is inherently the most compelling script.

Third, it changed both of them. Without the setbacks of 2022 and 2023, there would be no later Pogačar who is better at pacing himself and better at choosing his battles.

5. What Taiwanese Cyclists Can Learn

Bringing this story back to our own riding, there are a few practical takeaways:

• Losing to a specific opponent doesn’t mean your approach is wrong. If you’ve been beaten twice by the same person on Beiyi or Fengguizui, it’s usually not a talent issue—it’s that your racing strategy hasn’t been adjusted yet.
• A strong rider’s slump is usually short, but it always exists. Two straight years as runner-up looked like “decline” to the outside world; in hindsight, it was a “turning point.”
• An opponent is the best training partner. Someone who can truly push you is more valuable than ten comfortable group rides.

Of course, a pro’s training volume, support team, and recovery conditions aren’t something the average cyclist can replicate. Any adjustment should account for individual differences and gradual progression—don’t watch one race and then go all-out on your next Wuling ride.

Conclusion

The rivalry between Pogačar and Vingegaard keeps being discussed not because of who won in any given year, but because the storyline contains dominance, defeat, and re-dominance all at once. It has turned the Tour de France in recent years from merely an answer to “who’s the strongest” into a question that keeps being rewritten.

And as long as both of them are still on the start line, that question isn’t over yet.

Related Reading

• Double Defense in 2025: Pogačar’s Historic First of Holding Both the Tour and the Rainbow Jersey in the Same Year
• What Can Taiwanese Cyclists Learn from Pogačar? The Transferable Parts of an Attacking Style and the Parts That Simply Can’t Be Copied
• 26 Tour de France Stage Wins: Pogačar’s Harvest Route from 2020 to 2026
• Pogačar’s Fifth Title: 2026 Tour de France Overview, the Year He Drew Level with Four Legends