“The idea was to thin out the group and avoid danger” - Jonas Vingegaard reveals safety-first thinking behind early Giro d’Italia attack

Jonas Vingegaard’s first attack of the 2026 Giro d’Italia was not just a show of strength. After another crash-hit day in Bulgaria, the Visma leader said his move on the final climb of Stage 2 was also about staying away from danger before the technical run-in to Veliko Tarnovo.

Vingegaard accelerated near the top of the Lyaskovets Monastery Pass, splitting the reduced front group after a major crash had already forced a temporary neutralisation of the stage. Giulio Pellizzari and Lennert Van Eetvelt were able to join him over the summit, and for a time the trio looked capable of contesting the stage win.

They were eventually caught inside the final kilometre, with Guillermo Thomas Silva winning the stage for XDS Astana and moving into the Maglia Rosa. But Vingegaard’s attack still became one of the defining sporting moments of the day, especially given how early it arrived in the three-week race.

Speaking in a post-stage update released by Team Visma | Lease a Bike, Vingegaard explained that the move was partly shaped by the dangerous finale. “The idea was to thin out the group significantly in order to avoid the dangers in the final kilometer,” he said. “I felt good today and I would have liked to sprint for the win, but it was much more important to reach the finish safely.”

The attack came after a brutal phase of the stage in which several riders crashed on wet roads before the final climb. The incident left multiple teams counting the damage, with UAE Team Emirates - XRG particularly badly hit and Santiago Buitrago also forced to abandon.

Visma did not come through untouched either. Wilco Kelderman and Tim Rex were both involved in the crash, although Vingegaard avoided the fall and was able to refocus quickly before the road climbed toward the monastery.

Sports director Marc Reef confirmed that the attack had been part of the team’s plan, rather than a spontaneous response once the race opened up. “Jonas was able to quickly switch focus after the crash,” Reef said. “He shows that he is in excellent shape. The plan was to attack on the final climb, but of course you always have to see how the legs feel. It’s good to see how strong Jonas is.”

That detail gives the move extra significance. Stage 2 was not a summit finish, nor a day expected to decide the Giro outright, but Visma still saw the final climb as a chance to reduce the group, test the race and keep Vingegaard away from the dangers of a larger bunch on wet roads.

Reef’s post-stage assessment was more cautious when it came to Kelderman, whose condition was still unclear when the team issued its update. “There was nothing we could do about the crash,” Reef said. “The corner was slippery and the pace in the peloton was high. When riders go down in front of you, there is no way to avoid it. At the moment, we don’t yet know how Wilco is doing.”

That left Visma with mixed feelings at the finish. Vingegaard had shown his legs and avoided losing time on a day full of danger, but the team still had to wait for clarity on Kelderman after another heavy crash in the opening weekend.

For Vingegaard, the stage did not bring victory or the Maglia Rosa, but it did offer an early signal. His Giro is already active, his team are willing to move before the high mountains, and his first attack came with both performance and protection in mind.