Jonas Vingegaard, winner of two consecutive Tour de France victories, is as elusive now as he was when he first made his name in this race in 2021. He shows up, performs, doesn't say much, and leaves.

Two years ago, when Vingegaard unexpectedly assumed the leadership role of Jumbo Visma following the untimely departure of Primoz Roglic, reporters were eager to flesh out the back story of this newcomer.

The reporters gratefully picked up on the detail that he had worked in a fish factory in Hanstholm before jumping on the world tour, and Vingegaard patiently and politely shared the details. He explained, "I didn't skim the fish: I was in charge of putting the fish on ice so they could cut them, not cutting them."

Since then, his status has grown immeasurably, but it is hard to say that the world has learned much about Vingegaard beyond his love for a quiet life with his young family. His social media posts are few and far between, and his access to the media outside of racing is severely restricted. In press conferences, he rarely uses 20 words when he only needs three.

Vingegaard is not the first enigma to dominate the Tour, and there is a gentle shadow of Miguel Indurain in his reserved nature, but it is striking that he seems uninterested in controlling the narrative. For example, when he missed last August's Tour of Denmark, he sparked speculation that he was suffering from post-Tour victory burnout. His silence only amplified that noise, but then he did not feel the need to rush to correct the record.

Vingegaard, who finished third behind Tadej Pogachar (USA Team Emirates) on Saturday's 20th stage to Le Marckstein to win his second consecutive Tour, rejected the notion that he suffered from the pressure of his first title a year ago. There was not a hint of irritation in his voice, but rather a simple statement of fact.

"As I've said many times before, I had no problems last year. 'I just chose to relax and take it easy. There were no problems at all. So I think this year will be no different."

Vingegaard remains as cautious in his speech today as he was when he first emerged as a Tour contender two years ago, but he suggested that his faith in his own means has increased considerably since that breakthrough season in which he dramatically climbed the stage race hierarchy with Jumbo-Visma

"I have been working on the race for a long time.

"Two years ago was my first Tour de France and the first year I started getting results. Two years ago was my first Tour de France and the first year I started to get results. But before, I couldn't handle the pressure. From that moment on, I started getting on the podium and winning. That way I feel more confident in myself and in the media"

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Vingegaard did not lose confidence in this third meeting with Pogachar at the Tour, and a direct confrontation in Paris-Nice in March, in which he lost out to the Slovenian, did not seem to dampen Vingegaard's form.

After a dominant showing at the Criterium du Dauphiné in June, Vingegaard entered the Tour as the joint favorite with Pogachar to win the yellow jersey in the opening week. On the first rest day, Vingegaard suggested that Jumbo Visma had a plan to "beat" Pogachar, repeatedly suggesting that the duel between the two would ultimately be decided in minutes, not seconds. This proved to be the case. Thanks to a time trial in Combrue and a supersonic run in the Col de la Rose, Vingegaard rode into Paris on Sunday with a 7:29 lead over Pogachar.

"Last year I had a lot of injuries and illnesses in the spring, but nothing this year. I'm still developing and getting better. But I haven't improved by 20% in a year. I'm a little better than last year, but not much better than last year."

Vingegaard remained tight-lipped about what his grand strategy was to defeat Jumbo Visma's pogachar. 'We have our plan, and if we tell him how to defeat him, he will be able to prevent it.'

"We knew my strengths and we knew how to maximize my strengths.

"I don't think anyone understood our plan every day, but we understood it ourselves. In the end, it paid off."

In previous years, the Tour winner's traditional Saturday evening press conference lasted more than half an hour. By contrast, Vingegaard's crisp response meant that he spent only about 11 minutes in the press room. As usual, it was difficult to say that this press conference revealed what was driving him, but he made it clear that he would be back next year to try to win it all again.

"I have many goals, but the Tour de France is the biggest race in the world. For me, the Tour de France is special and I will be aiming to win it again next year."

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