Tadej Pogačar and Jonas Vingegaard cross paths in Sierra Nevada as they step up Tour de France preparation at high-altitude training camps

Tadej Pogačar and Jonas Vingegaard cross paths in Sierra Nevada as they step up Tour de France preparation at high-altitude training camps

Tadej Pogačar and Jonas Vingegaard, the two dominant forces of modern Tour de France battles, have once again found themselves on a collision course—this time in the thin air of Sierra Nevada. With just weeks to go until the 2025 Tour de France, both riders have intensified their final block of preparation at separate high-altitude training camps in the Spanish mountains, setting the stage for another epic showdown in July.

Though their respective teams, UAE Team Emirates and Visma–Lease a Bike, have kept specific training schedules discreet, the cycling world has taken note of the symbolic significance of their presence in the same mountainous region. It’s not the first time their paths have crossed ahead of the Tour, but with each passing year, the stakes grow higher—and the rivalry deeper.

Pogačar, fresh off a dominant Giro d’Italia campaign, is chasing an ambitious Giro–Tour double, a feat last achieved by Marco Pantani in 1998. His form in Italy was imperious, and now, his focus has shifted entirely to recovery and recalibration at altitude to sustain peak condition through July.

Vingegaard, meanwhile, is still clawing back from the dramatic crash he suffered in the Basque Country in April. Despite broken ribs and a punctured lung, the Dane has made a remarkable recovery and has quietly ramped up his intensity in Sierra Nevada. His Tour de France title defense hinges not just on physical form, but on whether he can match Pogačar’s momentum in the mountains.

Locals and fans have already spotted both riders on the winding climbs of the Sierra, sometimes within hours of each other but never side by side—adding an almost mythical air to their parallel preparations. It’s a reminder that even when not racing, the duel between Pogačar and Vingegaard is ever-present, each step measured not just in watts or kilometers, but in psychological one-upmanship.

With other Tour hopefuls like Remco Evenepoel and Primož Roglič training elsewhere, all eyes remain fixed on Sierra Nevada. If training camps offer a glimpse of what’s to come, the 2025 Tour de France could be another unforgettable chapter in this growing rivalry.