Vingegaard and Pogacar. The gloves are off.

Vingegaard throws down the glove.

One word has now changed the relationship between the Dane and Tadej Pogacar

Up until this quote from Vingegaard a few days ago, the two superstars were cordial and respectful of one another. That’s officially dead. Buried, never to be remembered except by pro cycling historians twenty years from now. We’re not in Lemond – Hinault territory.

We learned in this Tour de France that Pogacar has a personal habit of removing his gloves when the temperatures reach toasty. It’s just a thing — he likes the feel of the bars that way. Nude hands in cycling, it’s a thing.

However after Vingegaard annihilated Pogacar on the Col de la Loze, we discovered that in fact Vingegaard wasn’t finished with the destruction of the Slovenian.

What the Dane said will end all statements about mutual admiration and friendly vibes. Because Vingegaard took took off his gloves and threw them on the ground like it’s dueling pistols at twenty paces.

His damning quote: “Pogacar has been attacking me for 15 days. Because of his aggressiveness, I understood that at some point he would explode. Those who shoot too much are insecure and in the end they pay for it.”

The spicy part is “those who shoot too much.” The damning kicker is “insecure.”

If you’re Tadej Pogar and your arch rival called you insecure, well, you’ve got all the red-hot motivation to train like a maniac for next year’s Tour. You want to take care of him like Mexican drug lords take care of snitches. 

When it comes to Vingegaard, Tadej won’t be smiling and joking anymore. The Dane has come out of his quiet shell now that he’s about to match Pogacar with two Tour de France titles. 

He now feels confident and dominant enough to say what he really thinks. This is Vingegaard unfiltered and frisky. The so-called Silent Assassin is not longer silent. 

We haven’t read of any response from the Slovenian about being labelled “insecure.” But we’re sure he has stored that away for a moment of delicious revenge in the 2024 Tour de France. 

No matter what, from this day forth, for Vingegaard and Pogacar, the gloves are off.