Vingegaard hits back at doping insinuations | "We're not taking anything"

Sepp Kuss with Jonas Vingegaard at the end of today's stage 20 into La Vuelta, with Kuss maintaining his race lead (Photo: by Tommaso Pelagalli Sprint Cycling Agency)

Jonas Vingegaard said he understood people were sceptical about doping in cycling, and about the dominance of his team, but he believed that was because of what happened two decades ago. The double Tour de France stage winner, who is about to finish 2nd at La Vuelta to team mate Sepp Kuss, said neither he nor is Jumbo Visma team mates were taking drugs.

Speaking at a press conference after today's penultimate stage of the Vuelta, where Kuss maintained his race leader's jersey ahead of the finale into Madrid tomorrow, Vingegaard said it was to be expected that some people would be sceptical, but allegations were a different matter.

“For sure we understand the scepticism but people should know how much we sacrifice for everything, how much we go into the details, especially in this team. We just do everything perfect, basically. And it makes such a big difference. I don’t think people realise how much difference that actually makes.

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“It’s always good to be sceptical, specially when a team is doing well, as long as it’s not allegations. I think as long as we speak about it because of what happened 20 years ago then I think, hopefully, we can prevent it happening again. I’m 100 per cent sure my two colleagues here are not taking anything, as well as myself."

When asked if riding for Kuss to the Vuelta would hurt him financially in any way, Vingegaard said being a pro cyclist, or making decisions during races, should never be about money. He would also not concede there were "problems" during the race when it became clear Kuss had a great chance of winning, if though he and team mate Primož Roglič were riding well and could also win.

That dynamic came to a head - certainly in terms of external pressure on the team from social media and the media - when Roglič and Vingegaard dropped Kuss on the Angliru summit finish of stage 17. While Kuss got onto the race radio immediately, his two team mates continued to ride away, taking 1st and 2nd on the stage, with Kuss 3rd. That cut Kuss's lead over Vingegaard to just eight seconds.

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The team - specifically Roglič and Vingegaard and team management - were widely criticised and from that point, the team rode in defence of Kuss's race lead, easily defending it. Vingegaard conceded there were discussions inside the team, though he did not believe the media needed to know about that and did not conceded there were internal "problems".

Today's stage 20 at La Vuelta - a hilly 207.8km into Guadarrama - was won by Wout Poels (Bahrain Victorious) from a breakaway, which numbered 31 riders at one point. He got the jump in the sprint and claimed victory from Remco Evenepoel (Soudal Quicktep), who was chasing a fourth stage win, and Pelayo Sánchez (Burgos-BH).

Kuss was in the remains of the peloton, some 10:21 down on Poels. The American retained the race lead, by 17 seconds, from Vingegaard, with Roglič 3rd at 1:08. The next rider - and first non-Jumbo Visma team member - is Juan Ayuso (UAE Team Emirates) in 4th at 3:44.

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