Alberto Contador reveals how Jonas Vingegaard can challenge 'greatest rider in history' Tadej Pogacar at Tour de France
Updated 03/07/2026 at 11:37 GMT+1
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Alberto Contador has outlined how Jonas Vingegaard could challenge Tadej Pogacar at the Tour de France and deny the "greatest rider in history" a fifth yellow jersey - with the iconic race set to get underway on Saturday.
How does the team time trial work on Stage 1 of the 2026 Tour de France?
Video credit: TNT Sports
Pogacar (UAE Team Emirates-XRG) is again the clear favourite to top the general classification, having won in 2024 and 2025.
Vingegaard (Visma-Lease a Bike) is expected to be Pogacar's closest challenger, having twice won the Tour de France.
The Dane heads into the race having won the Giro d'Italia earlier this year, and former Tour de France champion Contador has highlighted experience as a potentially key factor.
"Although Pogacar has been clearly superior in virtually every race he's entered, his biggest rival is someone who already knows what it takes to win the Tour twice," Contador told TNT Sports and Eurosport.
"Jonas Vingegaard is an exceptionally professional and meticulous rider. Everything he does is geared towards winning the Tour de France, and that alone gives him a chance.
"I still think Pogacar is the favourite, but Vingegaard is the rider most capable of making life difficult for him."
A fifth yellow jersey would see Pogacar move level with four of cycling's greats: Jacques Anquetil, Eddy Merckx, Bernard Hinault and Miguel Indurain.
Asked where the Slovenian ranks among those names, Contador said: "I already consider him the greatest rider in history. A fifth Tour would simply strengthen that argument even further."
Pogacar and Vingegaard are the main contenders, but other riders will have their eyes on individual success.
"You've got [Remco] Evenepoel, [Florian] Lipowitz, [Juan] Ayuso and [Paul] Seixas - those are all riders with genuine podium potential," Contador said.
On Seixas, who at 19 has emerged as one of cycling's most exciting young talents after winning the Tour of the Basque Country and La Fleche Wallonne, Contador added: "I'm especially interested to see how he recovers from week to week because that's what will tell us whether he has what it takes to become a genuine Grand Tour contender."
Turning his attention back to the battle for the yellow jersey, Contador made clear the importance of leading the race going into a difficult final week.
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"Wearing the yellow jersey gives you one significant advantage: you can afford to react to what your rivals do," Contador said. "If you're chasing the race leader, you're the one who has to take the initiative.
"You have to attack, take risks and try to force the race open. That's a huge psychological difference, and it's one of the reasons why the final week is usually the most fascinating part of the Tour."
Contador identified one stage in particular as potentially decisive in the overall outcome of the Tour.
"I think Stage 15 will be hugely important," he said. "It features one of the first truly major high-mountain tests of the race, and I believe that's where one of the favourites could land a decisive blow.
"The rider with the greatest chance is Pogacar. Does that mean he'll definitely win? No. There are always crashes, bad days and many other factors that can change everything.
"But if I had to identify one decisive moment, I'd once again point to Stage 15. I think that's where the script of the race could really begin to take shape in the Alps."
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