Always silent and inscrutable, Jonas Vingegaard today met with the press in the usual conference before the start of the Grande Boucle.

It will be 21 difficult racing days, where the Dane will have to prove he is stronger than Pogacar, who has already won three editions of the yellow race, against Vingegaard's two victories.

"My plan to beat Pogacar? Obviously we have a plan, but I won't tell you about it, we can't share it with the media" - the Dane began with a big smile - "but I can say that I'm in my best condition".

Visma - Lease a Bike has no doubts, and the only possible goal for the Dutch team is the final victory. Pogacar complimented Vingegaard yesterday, and the Dane wanted to reciprocate.

"It was a very nice compliment from Taddei. He's a good guy, and well, I believe that in the Dauphiné we saw that he was better than me on longer climbs, but I hope that at the Tour the situation will be better compared to the Dauphiné. We have a strong team and believe in our plan".

The first ten days must be raced with caution. For Vingegaard, it will be important to focus on this and avoid finding himself in dangerous situations.

"I think the first ten days are certainly very, very important. It will be a very hectic start. I've never experienced a group sprint in the first stage, so it will be the first time for me too, and I believe it will be very hectic. However, I'm convinced that in the first 10 days you really need to try not to get into trouble, not lose time, and then, obviously, in the mountains you can make the difference".

Last year, the Dane also arrived at the Tour prepared, but he assured that this time it will be different and he will be much more competitive.

"Of course, last year I was also at the top, but in a different way. I had less muscle mass and was also much lighter, so obviously now I'm heavier compared to last year, but it's just a matter of mass and we know it will also give much more power. So yes, I can say I'm at the highest level I've ever reached".

Last year, the Dane's preparation was compromised by the accident at the Tour of the Basque Country, but this time the situation is different, and Vingegaard is certain he is more prepared.

"Last year I came back from that terrible accident and, to be honest, it took me much longer than I thought to recover. I would say that now my body feels exactly like before the accident, but only for a few months. It took me almost a year to return to the same physical state. And obviously, being in bed for two weeks, I had lost a lot of muscle mass. We tried to recover it and we succeeded. Now the difference is enormous".

The first week seems suitable for riders like Van Aert, and Vingegaard will be happy if the Flemish rider can obtain some victories, without forgetting the main objective: winning the Tour de France.

"I'll be very happy if Wout manages to win one or more stages and can race a few days in the yellow jersey. But we've also talked about the fact that the main objective is to win the yellow jersey and bring it to Paris, and we don't want to compromise. If there's a possibility of giving my contribution without compromising the situation, then I'd like to do it. But I also feel that I'm in the best form I've ever found in my life, and it's difficult to understand where we'll go until we get to the race".