“The Giro can be a stepping stone” – Ex-Danish coach says Jonas Vingegaard’s Giro plan is about beating Tadej Pogacar at the Tour de France, not avoiding him

Jonas Vingegaard’s decision to ride the Giro d’Italia in 2026 has sparked two very different readings.

One view says it is a hedge. A way to secure a Grand Tour win away from Tadej Pogacar after two Tours decided in Pogacar’s favour. The other says it is a weapon. A way to change Vingegaard himself before July.

Former Danish national coach Anders Lund is firmly in the second camp. Speaking to Eurosport, Lund argues that the Giro is not a Plan B. It is part of a plan to get closer to Pogacar when it matters most.

For full context on how the Giro fits into Team Visma | Lease a Bike’s wider 2026 structure around Vingegaard, Wout van Aert and the rest of the squad, see our main hub: Visma confirm full 2026 plans of Van Aert, Vingegaard, Jorgenson and more.

Lund believes Visma’s long-running approach in the fight against Pogacar has run its course. “They have worked with an exhaustion tactic against Pogacar for the past four years, with the reasoning that Jonas was more durable and stronger, especially in the final part of the race. And that was disproven as a tactic last year.”

That idea was simple: outlast Pogacar in the final week. But in the most recent Tour, Pogacar did not fade. He dominated.

For Lund, that changes everything. “The way he can beat him is by developing his physique.”

He goes further. “There have been indications that Jonas’ development has stagnated a little and has not progressed at the same speed. So he has to take a step, a physical step, and in that context it is very interesting to shake things up and ride a Grand Tour beforehand.”

The Giro, in this reading, is not an escape from Pogacar. It is a tool to rebuild Vingegaard.

Lund does not downplay what winning the Giro would mean. It would complete Vingegaard’s set of all three Grand Tours. But he does not see that as the main point. “The Giro can be a stepping stone that might put pressure on his physique, so he can get closer to Pogacar.”

That line cuts straight through the “hedging bets” theory. Lund is not talking about security. He is talking about stress, load, adaptation.

For him, riding the Giro creates a more direct physical line into the Tour. “In this way there is a more straight line towards the Tour, where the Giro, without belittling it, also can be a stepping stone.”

That means more racing, more fatigue, more stimulus. Not less.

There is also a human side to the plan. “If Jonas Vingegaard wins the Giro d’Italia, he will have won all three Grand Tours.”

Lund believes that matters. “I think that kind of thing is important. It is also about looking at what you can gather during a career.”

But he links that ambition straight back to Pogacar. “And I also think that Jonas wants to show that he is a winner, just as he did in the Vuelta last year.”

Winning, in Lund’s view, is not an alternative to beating Pogacar. It is part of what makes beating him possible. “It is hugely motivating for any cyclist to win their races, and it is also something that is needed to build the self-confidence so he can challenge Pogacar.”

Team Visma | Lease a Bike have already made clear that the Tour de France remains the season’s main objective. Lund supports that, even while welcoming the Giro.

Even though riding two Grand Tours is “a big task”, he sees the programme as necessary because something new is required. “So he has to take a step, a physical step, and in that context it is very interesting to shake things up and ride a Grand Tour beforehand.”

That is the core of Lund’s argument. Not avoidance. Not insurance. Change. The Giro is not there to replace the Tour. It is there to reshape the rider who goes to it.

If that works, then Vingegaard does not arrive in July hoping Pogacar is weaker. He arrives hoping he is stronger.