“The idea was to thin out the group and avoid danger” - Jonas Vingegaard reveals safety-first thinking behind early Giro d’Italia attack
Cycling
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.”
Visma confirm final climb attack was planned
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.
Jonas Vingegaard poses next to the Giro d'Italia trophy
Kelderman concern after major crash
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.
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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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- many people advise him to grow slowly and rather do giro and/or vuelta instead of tdf. but i can totally understand that he is not satisfied with taking over once pogi declines, but instead beat him in his prime. so if he goes for tdf again, i‘m all for it. let‘s hope that pogi recovers soon!Ketterechts07-11-2026
- 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
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