"If you compare it with Jonas..." - Felix Gall takes motivation from second place at Giro d'Italia and looks to close gap to Vingegaard
Cycling
Felix Gall has previously finished Top5 at the Tour de France and Top10 at the Vuelta a España. After his three-week debut at the Giro d'Italia back in 2022, he returned this year with a completely different set of ambitions. The Decathlon CMA CGM Team rider hoped to make it onto the podium in Rome and he succeeded, only being surpassed by Jonas Vingegaard in the mountains and the overall classification.
The Austrian rider had in the past proven his talent, but a fifth place at last year's Tour still perhaps did not do justice to his climbing ability, the 28-year old's main weapon. But this spring, a different preparation, more training-guided, allowed him to reach a higher level when comparing to what he has had in the past.
“I think I trained more and harder than I ever did. Maybe I was also more confident now" Gall said in words to CyclingPro.net. "I am old enough now to know my body well and not be scared to push it in training really to the limit. In the end, it all paid off.”
Whilst there was a large 42-kilometer long time trial, the Giro d'Italia's route is always heavy on the mountainous side, and here Gall was able to make the difference on his direct rivals. “When we made the plan last year in November for me to do the Giro, that was a big motivation. To come here with the goal of fighting for a podium spot. That it all worked out is amazing.”
This was a result that was built right from the first summit finish at Blockhaus, where he was a close second to Jonas Vingegaard. Two days later at Corno alle Scale, he attacked the Dane himself, and put in significant time into his rivals once again. Whilst he lost his position to Thymen Arensman on the race's time trial; he recovered it on the Valle d'Aosta stage, and never again lost it - whilst overtaking pink jersey Afonso Eulálio in the process.
Different training the key for Gall's development
How did Gall reach such a high climbing level, which confidently saw him race as the Giro's 'number two' (he finished second to Vingegaard on all five of his wins)? “In the past I was always a bit scared or cautious with too much intensity in training. I would peak quite easily or get in shape quite easily, but then also lose my shape quite quickly.”
“The endurance I built over the last years allowed me to push it a bit more in training. Maybe it unlocked a bit more of the top end. That is what I felt in training. To add a bit more intensity was the little extra push that I needed.”
Gall joined Jonas Vingegaard on the podium of the 2026 Giro
Gall hopes to reach Vingegaard's climbing level
At the Vuelta a España Gall will not have to worry about the presence of Vingegaard; whilst the likes of Tadej Pogacar, Paul Seixas and Remco Evenepoel are also not outlined to be there. Gall may get the lead of the French team once again and another opportunity at Grand Tour success, with a more modest startlist.
“My level on the climbs is pretty good. Of course, if you compare it with Jonas, there is still quite a gap. But I hope I can still improve a little bit," he anticipates. “In a Grand Tour, the biggest thing is that you never give up. I did not really have a really bad day here. The time trial was a bit of a challenge for sure, but on those days you just need to do your best. Everybody will have a bit of a bad day.”
Through consistency, Gall has achieved what is perhaps the best result of hi career, side by side to his Tour de France stage win back in 2023. “You do not need to do anything crazy. It is the consistency that gives you the result in the end," he concluded.
Rúben SilvaEditor-in-Chief
A founding contributor to CyclingUpToDate since its launch in January 2022, Ruben Silva has played a central role in shaping the site’s editorial direction and long-term growth. Before joining the project, he built his experience through independent blogging at Echelons Hub and by producing race previews for Ciclismo Internacional, developing a strong analytical voice rooted in daily engagement with professional cycling.
Beyond editorial work, he has been closely involved in the expansion and coordination of CyclingUpToDate’s wider network, helping establish and support sister platforms across multiple languages. This includes ongoing collaboration with CiclismoAlDia (Spanish), CiclismoAtual (Portuguese), WielrennenUpToDate (Dutch), and RadsportAktuell (German), contributing to a shared editorial vision and consistent international coverage.
He also helps oversee editorial governance across the network, setting standards for accuracy and consistency and coordinating updates or corrections when needed.
Originally from the Porto metropolitan area in Portugal, he holds a bachelor’s degree in Geography. His path into cycling journalism was shaped not through formal media training, but through independent reporting, community engagement, and sustained on-the-ground involvement in the sport.
Over the course of his career, he has conducted approximately 100 interviews across road cycling and cyclocross, ranging from one-to-one conversations and online formats to press conferences and on-site pre- and post-race coverage. His interviews include leading riders, team managers, and prominent figures within cycling media: Tadej Pogacar, Jonas Vingegaard, Mathieu van der Poel, Primoz Roglic, Wout van Aert, Joao Almeida and Tom Pidcock; managers like Patrick Lefevere and Joxean Matxin; and YouTube personality Bryan Kennedy (BKXC)...
Within 18 months of launch, he helped grow CyclingUpToDate’s English-language platform into one of the most-read cycling news websites, built entirely from the ground up. As both a professional journalist and lifelong cycling enthusiast, his focus remains on delivering accurate, timely, and well-contextualized coverage.
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