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Weather conditions and other factors affect times, of course, but I don't think he has or probably will ever regain the form he had prior to the crash early last season. Froome was never close to the same after his terrible crash. Egan Bernal has never been the same, though he has been better this season.

I think Vingegaard is at a crossroads. He has to decide what he wants in his career. He focuses almost exclusively on the Tour. That will mean runner-up placings, at least until Pogacar is done. Mercx's greatest rival was Felice Gimondi, who won the Tour on his first try and won five grand tours overall, along with Paris-Roubaix, Milan-San Remo and Lombardy twice. He was set to be the next dominant champion after Jacques Anquetil. Then, a couple years later, along came Eddy. Gimondi tried and believe he could best him Eddy's first couple seasons as a pro. Then Gimondi accepted that Eddy was just better and resolved to still go against him and wait for the odd bad days for Eddy, and steal wins. Vingegaard can try that approach, or he can go after the Giro or Vuelta and some Classics and the World's. I would choose the latter. Late in his career, when Alberto Contador would eventually be too far behind to win the final GC in the Tour or the Vuelta, he would chase stages. He had no more interest in runner-up than 172nd place. He wanted wins only, not placings. I think that's how I would approach it if I were in that position. I hope Jonas and his team and sponsors choose that approach.