"If you compare it with Jonas..." - Felix Gall takes motivation from second place at Giro d'Italia and looks to close gap to Vingegaard

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.

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.”

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.