Vingegaard has shone in his first ever Tour following the withdrawal of team leader Primož Roglič before stage 9, rocketing into the top 10 in the general classification and pushing yellow jersey holder Tadej Pogačar every step of the way in the process.
And the 26-year-old was right there with Pogačar again in the hardest stage of this year's Tour which saw the riders take on two category 1 climbs before a summit finish on the mammoth hors categorie Col du Portet.
One of only two riders able to track a strong move by the Slovenian in the final eight kilometres with Richard Carapaz (INEOS Grenadiers), Vingegaard was distanced just before the final kilometre as Carapaz attacked, but dug deep to successfully bridge back to the lead duo and finish second ahead of Carapaz as Pogačar took the win in another incredible performance.
Second on the stage also carried the Dane to second in the general classification, as he now sits five minutes and 39 seconds behind Pogačar and four seconds ahead of Carapaz as the Tour moves into the final four stages.
Despite narrowly missing out on a maiden stage win, there wasn't much to complain about for Vingegaard as he continues to display his immense talent and potential as a general classification threat.
“I mean I’m super, super happy about how it went today,” Vingegaard said.
“Of course, I would have loved to have taken a stage win, but second is so really great for me. I’m super happy about it, especially as I took some time on (Rigoberto) Uràn.
“Tadej is really, really strong, so second for me is still really amazing.”
Speaking on Carapaz's attack in the final kilometre, Vingegaard revealed he predicted the Ecuadorian's move as the group reached the final section of the climb and had faith he would be able to get back alongside them when he fell off the back.
“Every time we were looking back, even when we were going easy, Carapaz was looking like he was suffering a lot," he said.
"And I was thinking, ‘OK, for sure he’s going to do a good attack in a moment.
“When he attacked, I couldn’t go with him, and I just found my own pace. Luckily, I could come back and then I could get second in the end.
Team director Grischa Niermann rightfully praised Vingegaard for another promising performance, admitting the level he's reached since Roglič's withdrawal has been a pleasant surprise.
“I am very proud of how the team rode today," Niermann said.
"The boys were very strong again. Jonas has shown that he is a great talent for the future and has made big steps in his development as a Grand Tour rider in the Tour.
"We didn’t expect him to be able to do this already. The fighting spirit he has shown to fight back beyond Carapaz is good to see.
"But we are not there yet as another tough mountain stage and a time trial are yet to come. Anything can still happen. But today we have taken a big step in the right direction. With Jonas, and also with a talent like Tobias Foss, things are looking good for us for the future.”
The Tour de France continues with Stage 18, another big day in the mountains, with the peloton summiting the dual hors categorie climbs of the Col du Tourmalet and the Luz Ardiden over a total stage distance of just 129.7 kilometres. Watch the racing action from 2130 AEST on SBS, SBS OnDemand and the SKODA Tour Tracker.
