"If I can help him..." - Jonas Vingegaard virtually seals Giro d'Italia win and hopes to assist Davide Piganzoli's ambitions at Visma
Cycling
Jonas Vingegaard continues to rule the 2026 Giro d’Italia with an iron fist. The Visma | Lease a Bike leader sealed his fourth stage win in Cari, his first wearing the maglia rosa. It was perhaps the most important win of the race for him, as he cements his lead in the overall classification.
He also struck another blow in the general classification, stretching his advantage over Felix Gall to four minutes. The Dane’s sense of superiority was total on an Alpine day almost tailor-made for him. From the start, Visma’s plan was clear and executed with surgical precision. Vingegaard confirmed it after the line, following yet another collective exhibition by his team.
“Everything went exactly as planned. We wanted to go for the stage today,” explained the two-time Tour de France winner to CyclingPro.net, making clear the day was circled in red from the start.
The Dane was keen to spotlight his teammates, crucial in hardening the race from far out and isolating the main rivals before the final ascent to Cari. The gap to the breakaway never escalated to a large gap, and so the Dutch team was able to capitalize on the fourth summit finish of the race.
“My teammates were incredible today. They did everything perfectly. They controlled the break, made sure it was the right move, and that the guys up the road didn’t have teammates.”
Visma’s control was absolute all stage. The Dutch squad managed gaps, hit the gas when they wished, and turned the last climb into a war of attrition until Vingegaard launched the decisive move.
“On the final climb they set a very hard pace and then I had to go alone,” said the Giro leader, once more leaving his rivals with no answer.
Winning in pink, a special target
Beyond extending his GC lead, Vingegaard admitted there was an emotional driver behind this victory: opening his account in the maglia rosa.
“It wasn’t so much about taking more time on Felix Gall. I also wanted to win a stage in the pink jersey,” he explained.
The setting was no coincidence either. The Dane acknowledged a special bond with the Swiss region where the stage finished, a place where he has spent long stretches training and living.
“And what better place to do it than here, in Switzerland? I’ve spent quite some time here. I really like this area. It’s a special place for me".
Jonas Vingegaard at the 2026 Giro
A dominance built on the collective
Although he already holds four stage wins and seems to be racing on another level to the rest of the favourites, Vingegaard kept sharing the credit across Visma’s structure.
“It’s very nice to already have four stages, but I also have to thank my teammates. It’s not like we’re doing it with one leg. We still have to push the pedals,” he joked.
The Dane underlined the sacrifice of his domestiques, fully committed to protecting his lead and turning every mountain day into a grind. “They’re leaving everything out on the road,” he added.
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The white jersey comes into play
With the GC seemingly under control and five stages to go, Vingegaard hinted the team could open up other strategic goals within the race. Enter Davide Piganzoli.
The Italian, his Visma teammate, remains in the fight for the white jersey of best young rider, and the Dane made clear he would be happy to help after the huge shift Piganzoli has put in throughout the race, with the Italian himself climbing to weight position in the overall classification and also having only just over 2 minutes to close down on Afonso Eulálio.
“Davide has done so much for me and he’s a great guy. If I can help him even a little, I’d be delighted to do so,” he said.
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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- So gracious to offer something no-one would be prepared to pay for. The Giro is not the Tour and doesn’t command the same interest or attract the same “elite” (those willing to pay to be a part of something they consider has ego boosting potential). Roadside viewing will always largely remain free for everyone outside circuits. Introduction of a symbolic entrance to mountain climbs is worthy of exploration. Asking 1-2€ isn’t going to repulse real fans (most will spend 50-100€ on their outing that day all things included) but will prevent a portion of the total knobhead thrillseekers who will join in any large gathering as long as it’s free, just because they’re attracted to crowds, without which it it difficult for them to work up their anti-social behaviour.Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- How is radio going to help when someone went over a cliff or bridge or off the roadside into a forest unnoticed and is laying there unconscious?Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- Yep, next we’ll be accusing F1 drivers of avoiding Le Mans.Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- But on what is that opinion based? Are you holding him to a different standard than others? Are you saying he should do learn to like something he doesn’t Are you saying he hasn’t achieved enough Are you saying he pretends to be better than his results? It’s actually a really strange opinion to oust if you consider it objectively or rationally. Try applying it to others or yourself by asking if not EVERYONE should then be doing more? Nobody in athletics or swimming gets criticism for not expanding their repertoire when a rival or someone else does. In fact, most who move to another event get accused of running from their rival. Opinions are boring, the reasons behind them are what count.Jumpyjohn07-11-2026
- for a medical chief to throw things like is just bad. There are already radios which were banned for spectacle. allow radios. Gps trackers are not a complete solutionabstractengineer07-11-2026
- Yeah man...PogiSloFans07-11-2026
- any rider less than 25 whether they are really ready for the position of leadership of GT is probably not the case. I think Pogi himself suffered when he was defeated by Jonas in the TDF twice. But that would be the team's job to ensure support so that they can bounce back. It requires a team and time to get back up and win after getting knocked down.abstractengineer07-11-2026
- I'm very glad he got the big late Quickstep Vuelta win and I hope he has a few left for Euskaltel-Euskadi.flyer07-11-2026
- My memories of Ivan Basso aren't good but I liked his sister Elisa ok.flyer07-11-2026
- I'm picking .... .... Never mind 🫥flyer07-11-2026
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