Sawt Falasteen - Vingegaard 'stronger than ever' as Tour de France start looms

Cycling's greatest race also features what may be one of sport's greatest rivalries, as the softly spoken Vingegaard vies with defending champion Tadej Pogacar, who has more of a swashbuckling style.

Slovenian Pogacar attacks at the slightest provocation, whereas the Dane tends to stick to a carefully plotted plan.

The pair have won the past five Tour de France between them and the 112th edition gets underway Saturday from the northern city of Lille.

It has an old school itinerary favouring climbers such as wispy Vingegaard.

And the 28-year-old Dane was promising to fulfil his part of the bargain over the 21-day extravaganza.

"I'm on the highest level that I've ever been," said the 2022 and 2023 winner.

Vingegaard explained he was more muscular after changing training routine to fully recover from a bad crash last year.

"I'm more heavy now than I was last year, but it's muscle and it gives a lot more power. Let's see if that's enough," he said.

Vingegaard smiled as he was asked directly about Pogacar, who claimed Thursday that Vingegaard was the best climber in the world.

"I have a lot of admiration for Tadej," he said. "He's a very nice guy and a very good bike rider."

- Evenepoel fired up -

Those words are a far cry from the early days of the rivalry.

The magnificent 3,338-kilometre route in the first edition since 2020 not to venture abroad starts with a flat stage around Lille expected to hand the first overall leader's jersey to a sprinter.

But the 184 riders from 23 teams will rove across the north to the west of Brittany in the opening ten days on often narrow rolling roads.

Aggressive, hotly contested battles for the right to the yellow jersey and huge roadside crowds of several hundred thousand are expected each day.

Belgian rider Remco Evenepoel is hotly tipped to take the yellow jersey by at least stage five.

Evenepoel is Olympic and world champion in the time trial and vowed Thursday to "go all in all the way" on the 33km time-trial around Caen.

"I'm here to compete, to make it harder for them. Last year I was third. I'm going to give my maximum and we'll see in a couple of weeks," said Evenepoel.

The volcanoes of the Puy de Dome present the first mountains as late as stage 10 when the riders get their first day off.

There are two more colossal climb days in the Pyrenees before the blockbuster final week in the Alps where cycling folklore says the Tour is won.

W.Mansour--SF-PST