Back in competition this week after his victory in the Tour de France in July, the Dane took advantage of passages at more than 10% of a cobbled street in Labin (south), to place a decisive offensive and catch up with the Frenchman Pierre Rolland at 150 meters from the finish, then ahead of the Briton Oscar Onley and the Slovenian Matej Mohoric.
Thanks to this success, the Jumbo-Visma climber took the lead in the general classification ahead of Mahoric (+ 8 sec) and Onley (+ 8 sec), on the eve of the final stage in Zagreb.
These two victories are likely to reassure Vingegaard one week before the Tour of Lombardy (October 8), the last Monument on the calendar, for which he has already displayed his ambitions by considering it as his "goal" for the end of the season.
Since July 24 and his triumph on the Champs-Elysées, Vingegaard had not participated in any professional race, even giving up the Tour of Denmark on his land and the World Championships in Australia.
In mid-August, its sporting director Frans Maassen had admitted that Vingegaard had gone through "difficult times" after the Tour, his first success in a grand tour at 25 years old.
On Sunday, the last stage, 158 kilometers long, will connect Sveta Nedelja to Zagreb.
© 2022 AFP