Tour de France: Clash of styles as odd couple duel for title again

Here AFP takes a look at the strengths and weaknesses which could prove crucial in what should be another crowd-pleasing, see-saw struggle.

Pogacar

Ammunition box

The opening ten days of the 2025 route revisit the scene of the swashbuckling Slovenian's second triumph as it meanders along the narrow winding roads of Normandy and Brittany.

That opening section must be survived. "Something will happen to somebody, it always does here," 2018 champion Geraint Thomas said at the time, and it ended up being the Welshman himself who fell foul of the section.

Pogacar has shown in the big one-day races he can handle all types of terrain.

Pogacar possesses an acceleration that will always lift him clear in a two-up tussle for bonus seconds at the finish line, a knack that appears to irk Vingegaard.

With 99 wins to his name, the Slovenian boy who grew up always wanting to beat his elder brother will also be out to annoy the Dane as often as possible on this Tour.

The 26-year-old Pogacar loves to be in the forefront of the action and often rides near the head of the pack, avoiding crashes and splits and affording himself opportunities for his sudden and sometimes devastating attacks.

Achilles heel

It's hard to pinpoint a major Pogacar weakness, but performing in intense heat would be one of them.

A second, only when comparing Pogacar to his nemesis, would be a stage with four or five big mountains.

When the sun shines down and the slopes rise up at the same time, as they have done twice in Vingegaard's favour, Pogacar has a potential meltdown in him.

Vingegaard

Ammunition box

One clear and gigantic advantage Vingegaard has, can often be seen riding right in front of him, also in a Visma shirt.

"Possibly the best rider in the world", is how the Dane describes team-mate Wout van Aert.

The Belgian powerhouse is too big to win in the steepest mountains, but he can make the difference ona stage, as he proved at the Giro this season, pulling Simon Yates three minutes clear of his rivals over a 10km stretch between peaks, before dropping back as the Briton rode on to bury his bogeymen with the title winning performance.

Patience and strategy are strengths Vingegaard and his Visma team bank on, plotting a careful analysis of the route to define where and when their man can attack Pogacar.

Two prime examples from 2023: Vingegaard's moves on the downhill section of the mountainous time-trial and on the last mountain the following day. Pogacar had no answer.

Despite his upbringing on a windswept stretch of Nordic coastline, Vingeagaard, unlike Pogacar, thrives as the mercury tips above 30C, and the long-range forecast for July suggests that particular star may shine on the slightly-built former fish-factory worker.

The Dane is a downhill daredevil and descends better than his rival, he proved this for his first win when Pogacar was so stunned to see Vingegaard shoot past him he fell at the next corner. Famously Vingegaard then waited for Pogacar to remount and catch up, and the pair rode on together.

Achilles heel

Vingegaard generally likes to know exactly what he is doing and why, and prepares meticulously from the moment the Tour route is announced.

When Montmartre was added to the Tour route he was shocked. "It'll be stressful, it's not a good idea," he said on learning the news.

Those kinds of seeds of doubt can drain his energy more than his more spontaneous rival.