“It brings tears to my eyes” - Emotional Jonas Vingegaard lost for words as family joins Giro d’Italia celebrations in Rome
Cycling
Jonas Vingegaard was left fighting back emotion in Rome after sealing overall victory at the 2026 Giro d’Italia, with the Team Visma | Lease a Bike leader admitting that sharing the moment with his family brought “tears to my eyes.”
The Dane safely completed the final stage in the Italian capital to confirm his first Giro d’Italia title, closing out a dominant three weeks in pink. Jonathan Milan won the final sprint on Stage 21, but the biggest celebration came moments later as Vingegaard crossed the line with his Visma team-mates and officially added the maglia rosa to his Tour de France and Vuelta a Espana victories.
It was the final act of a commanding Giro for Vingegaard, who won five stages and finished 5:22 clear of Felix Gall in the final general classification. Jai Hindley completed the podium, while Vingegaard became only the eighth men’s rider in history to win all three Grand Tours.
The scale of the achievement hit him quickly after the finish. “It is fantastic,” Vingegaard reflected after the stage. “It is something I have dreamed of my whole life. To be able to do it now is special. It is a special day for me. I am lost for words.”
Vingegaard savours pink in Rome
Vingegaard’s final day carried the usual ceremonial feel of a Grand Tour leader’s procession, but Rome gave the moment an added sense of theatre. Visma rode in special black kit with pink, yellow and red details, while Vingegaard used a pink Cervelo as the team marked his completed Grand Tour set.
The final stage itself was settled by Milan in the sprint after a late attacking sequence involving Filippo Ganna, Matteo Sobrero and Jasper Stuyven was brought back. For Vingegaard, the job was simply to stay safe through the technical laps and reach the finish.
He did exactly that, rolling home at the back of the peloton with his team-mates around him. “It has been a special day, there were so many people along the route,” Vingegaard said. “It was really fantastic. To have the honour of riding in pink in Rome is very special. It is such a cool way to end these three weeks.”
The victory also continues a remarkable Grand Tour sequence for the Dane. After Tour de France wins in 2022 and 2023, and Vuelta a Espana success in 2025, the Giro was the final missing piece.
Family moment leaves Vingegaard emotional
For all the history attached to the victory, Vingegaard’s most emotional answer came when he was asked about having his family in Rome. “It is even cooler,” he said. “It brings tears to my eyes. They are always there.”
Vingegaard had to pause as the emotion of the moment became clear. After three weeks of racing, five stage victories and near-total control of the general classification, the Giro ended not with another attack, but with family, team-mates and the realisation of a lifelong dream.
His 2026 Giro will be remembered for the numbers: five stages, the maglia rosa, a 5:22 winning margin and a place alongside Jacques Anquetil, Felice Gimondi, Eddy Merckx, Bernard Hinault, Alberto Contador, Vincenzo Nibali and Chris Froome in the Grand Tour Triple Crown club.
In Rome, Vingegaard’s own reaction was simpler. He had dreamed of this all his life, and his family were there to see it.
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Kieran WoodDeputy Editor-in-Chief
Kieran Wood is a sports journalist based in Wales and has been active in journalism since 2022. He regularly contributes to DartsNews.com and CyclingUpToDate.com, where he covers professional cycling and darts. In cycling, his work includes liveblogs from major races, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España, alongside race reports and analysis. He has also conducted interviews with professional riders.
His reporting spans the full racing calendar, from one-day classics to stage races, with a focus on accurate, real-time coverage and clear contextual analysis. For statistics, results, and historical context, he regularly uses resources such as ProCyclingStats. To support reporting on rider activity and training context where relevant, he also references Strava.
In his work, Kieran places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles as new, verified information becomes available.
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- She deviated from her line - end of
leedorney10-11-2026 - If I was Lucinda Brand, I'd refuse to wear the jersey. Is there a rule that she "has to" wear it, as the winner? It would certainly feel like stolen valor.wrsty10-11-2026
- but don't let your socks be too long or handlebars be a cm too narrow.mij10-11-2026
- Saw a casual interview with Geraint Thomas and him a few years ago. Seems like a nice laid guy and I wish him well.GregT10-11-2026
- Ernesto Maggioni - The president of the commissaires Mafia. It is getting evident that this guy is basically "Iamalwaysrightandyouarestupidsoiwontlistentoyou" kind of guy. So fire him so that he can be always right in his homeabstractengineer10-11-2026
- Somehow it has got into his mind that he is a GC rider. He is primarily a classics and stage rider who can perform on GC given his day. As a result he is wasting his time on TDF GC and once committed to GC you are too tired to do anything else.abstractengineer10-11-2026
- 🐐❤️Lozza09-11-2026
- This is such a black eye to women's professional cyclocross if this result remains. Marie Schreiber won this race fairly. This finish is not unlike others in cyclocross. Lots of moving around to get to the finish not to cut anyone off , but to generate a sprint on soft wide tires caked with mud and sand. This is not nearly the same as a road race between two riders sprinting to the finish on faster bikes and thinner firmer tires. The powers in charge need to use some common sense, reverse this result and remember this is Cyclocross not Road racing. Unbelievable. . .Zencycle09-11-2026
- Tis beyond your comprehension fine sir so best not to look on with blind eyes to THE GOATS greatness.
Brucegel09-11-2026 - McNulty winning was beneficial in ensuring the rainbow jersey would not remain winless
Front24209-11-2026
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