“He has also been one of them” - Visma confirm Jonas Vingegaard affected by illness as Giro d’Italia sickness concerns grow

Team Visma | Lease a Bike have confirmed Jonas Vingegaard has been among the riders affected by illness at the Giro d’Italia, adding a significant new layer to the questions around the Dane’s form after a turbulent few days in the fight for pink.

Sickness has become one of the major threads of the second week, with several teams reporting problems in their camps and the wider peloton showing signs of strain after a demanding opening half of the race.

Until now, the focus around Vingegaard had largely centred on external analysis after his below-expectation time trial on Stage 10, where he failed to take the maglia rosa from Afonso Eulalio and finished three minutes down on Filippo Ganna.

Now Visma have acknowledged that their own group has also been affected.

Speaking to TV2 Sport, Visma sports director Jesper Morkov said the team had dealt with symptoms inside the camp, although he stressed that the situation now appears to be under control. “Yes, we have had a bit of coughing and tickling in the throat among some of the boys, but everything now seems to be fine,” Morkov explained.

Asked whether Vingegaard had also been among those affected, Morkov confirmed: “He has also been one of them, but everything seems to be fine.”

That final caveat is important. Visma are not presenting Vingegaard as currently compromised, nor are they using illness as an excuse for his time trial or any other performance. But the confirmation is still notable after several days in which former riders and analysts had questioned whether the race favourite might be below his usual level.

Vingegaard remains second overall, 33 seconds behind Eulalio after Stage 12, and still well placed before the Giro returns to more decisive mountain terrain. Yet the admission gives fresh context to the scrutiny around his recent displays.

Stage 12 did not produce a major GC battle, although Eulalio did extend his advantage by taking six bonus seconds at the Red Bull KM. Vingegaard and Visma were visible at the front late on, but the Dane said the objective was control rather than aggression.

“It was about staying safe,” Vingegaard said in an interview with the race. “We took the front to be on the safe side, and my team did a fantastic job today. They were super strong and did really well. So we stayed out of trouble and came through it well.”

That approach also shaped the final kilometres, where Alec Segaert launched a perfectly timed late move to take victory for Bahrain - Victorious. Visma were on the front, but Vingegaard suggested some teams misread their intentions. “We were pulling, but only to be at the front, and some teams probably did not realise that until it was too late,” he said. “It was good for Bahrain and a cool stage win for them.”

The Giro now moves forward with two linked questions around Vingegaard. Visma insist the illness issue appears resolved, and the mountains should offer a clearer answer about his condition. But after a time trial that fell short of expectations and now confirmation that he was among the riders affected, the spotlight on the race favourite has only sharpened.