"I hope for something else" - Jonas Vingegaard urged to pull off Pogacar-style attack as Vicenzo Nibali weighs-in on Giro

Vicenzo Nibali will be surprised if anyone other than Jonas Vingegaard rides into Rome in the pink jersey. However, the legendary Italian cyclist wants to see the Team Visma | Lease a Bike man make a statement with a race-defining attack - similar to the likes cycling fans have become accustomed to seeing Tadej Pogacar do in recent years.

Pogacar dominated the 2024 Giro d'Italia as he claimed six stage wins and blew away the peloton with attacks on famous climbs such as Monte Grappa. And although Vingegaard claimed victory on the legendary Blockhaus climb on stage 7, Nibali claims the most important stages of this Giro are yet to come.

“It would be a huge surprise not to see him in pink in Rome. I really like him as a rider. But now is when the really decisive days begin; history is yet to be written,” Nibali told La Gazzetta Dello Sport.

Going all-in is a difficult proposition for Vingegaard and Visma, who likely mapped out their Giro game plan with one eye on July's Tour de France. The Dane is hoping to seal a pink jersey and at the same time tweak his Tour preparations while racing a grand tour.

Many riders will attest that it's easier said than done, with the Giro often serving brutal weather, chaotic finishes and relentless high mountains - making the idea of limiting fatigue while also winning general classification a difficult task. Pogacar won the corsa rosa before emerging victorious in the Tour, but enjoyed a more comfortable lead over his rivals than Vingegaard has at this stage of the race.

Nonethless, Nibali wants to see a show of strength. While admitting that Vingegaard will have a gaze towards France, he expects him to improve as the race goes on.

Nibali said: “I'd like him to pull off a feat like [Pogacar] before the end of the Giro, to put on a great, long show one day. I know he's also eagerly awaiting the Tour and the challenge with Pogacar, so it's likely that in the rest of the race, here, his condition will improve a bit."

He added: "Yes, he can think about gaining a little each day and still winning. It would be understandable. But I hope for something else."

Vingegaard's time trial in stage 10 raised eyebrows as he lost time to some GC rivals and put small amounts of time into others. It has since emerged that the 31-year-old has been battling an illness but is beginning to feel better.

“I knew it wouldn't be easy for him,” Nibali reacted to the time-trial. “And the reason is easy to find: we're talking about a time-trial of over 40km, almost 50 minutes of effort. A race half that long would have been much, much easier to manage."

Felix Gall has appeared to have his number on the harder climbs of the race, losing just a handful of seconds in the first week's defining mountain top finishes. Nibali thinks Gall has a good podium opportunity: “His ground is coming. On the climbs, so far, he's only lost to Vingegaard. He has a strong team and a great opportunity.”

Nibali also took the chance to urge Giulio Pellizzari to attack in the latter stages of the race. The 22-year-old Italian finds himself over three minutes adrift of Vingegaard after his own viral infection struggles derailed his ambitions in recent stages.

Nibali said: “He has nothing to lose. He's currently ninth in the standings, but would a finish like that or slightly higher make such a difference for him, given that he already finished sixth last year? I don't think so. If he's fit enough, I'd advise him to try and put in some performances.”