"If I can help him..." - Jonas Vingegaard virtually seals Giro d'Italia win and hopes to assist Davide Piganzoli's ambitions at Visma

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.

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".

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.

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.