Tour de France 2023 | Jonas Vingegaard on doping: “I don’t take anything”

“We are completely clean, each of us in the team. I can guarantee everyone, nobody takes anything illegalThis is how Jonas Vingegaard defended himself against questions about doping at the end of the Tour de France… 2022. Twelve months later, the Dane had to respond to suspicions a little earlier. For a few days, his performances and those of Tadej Pogacar question, then “Vingo” has, again, had to defend itself.

Puy de Dôme, Grand Colombier, Joux Plane… So many passes in which the duo of monsters of the 2023 edition achieved close times, and sometimes better, than former riders convinced of doping. “Yes, I completely understand the questions on this subject because of the past of our sport. It’s even good to be skeptical because otherwise it will happen again“, replied Jonas Vingegaard after the 15th stage at the top of Bettex, in Saint-Gervais Mont-Blanc.

His team, the Jumbo-Visma, continues to carry questions with his domination. Already in the spring, the performances of Christophe Laporte, Tiesj Benoot, Dylan van Baarle or Wout van Aert on the classics had forced the yellows and blacks to defend themselves. Rebelote on the Tour. “All I can say is I’m not taking anything“, retorted Vingegaard in a press conference, without getting annoyed, unlike Van Aert, twelve months ago. “It’s a shit question“, had then carried away the Belgian.

The yellow jersey understands that these last few days carried out at a hellish pace can raise questions. “It’s true that we go fast, even faster than them“, he added in reference to the sad examples of the past. According to some statements, Vingegaard and Pogacar went faster than Marco Pantani in 1997 on the first ten kilometers of Joux Plane, before imposing a standstill session. The Slovenian had for his part set the record for the climb of the Col du Grand Colombier on Friday.

How can such a change in performance be explained if not, as some think, by doping among the champions of 2023? “Equipment, nutrition, training, everything has changed and that explains why performance is improvingconfided the title holder of the Tour de France. But it’s okay to be skeptical. ” Unless he collapses by Sunday in Paris, Vingegaard will undoubtedly have to answer new questions on doping. If not, it will be his rival Tadej Pogacar. One thing is certain: the winner n won’t escape it.