Vingegaard and Almeida be warned? Santiago Buitrago confirms Giro d’Italia 2026 GC ambitions: “This is the right moment to take a step forward”

Santiago Buitrago has made his intentions clear ahead of the 2026 Giro d’Italia, with the Bahrain - Victorious rider confirming he will target the general classification rather than stages at the upcoming Corsa Rosa.

After building his Grand Tour reputation through stage wins and consistent top 10 finishes, the Colombian now believes the moment has arrived to shift his focus.

“I’ve already raced the Giro twice, and I think this is the right moment to try to take a step forward,” Buitrago said in conversation with Bici.Pro. “This year I’d like to try to go for the general classification.”

That statement alone reframes his role heading into the race. No longer a dangerous outsider for breakaways, Buitrago is positioning himself as part of the wider GC fight, one expected to be led by Jonas Vingegaard and Joao Almeida.

Buitrago’s Giro history offers a clear foundation for that shift. He has already won twice at the race, with victories in 2022 and 2023 underlining his climbing pedigree, while his overall results have steadily improved across Grand Tours.

Yet until now, his approach has blended opportunism with consistency rather than full commitment to GC. That appears to be changing in 2026. “I’ve looked at the route. It’s quite demanding, and that long time trial won’t be easy. But I’m motivated to do well.”

The route itself presents both opportunity and risk. Multiple summit finishes suit his strengths, but the extended individual time trial remains a known weakness. It is an area Bahrain - Victorious have been actively targeting in preparation.

Buitrago’s ambitions are not a solo call. Bahrain - Victorious are fully aligned behind their rider, with sports director Franco Pellizotti confirming the team will build its Giro strategy around a GC push.

“Santiago is preparing well, and we’re aiming for a good GC result with him. He will be our main rider for that objective,” Pellizotti explained. “He’s very motivated, and the team will support him well, starting with Damiano Caruso, who will be our road captain.”

There is also a clear-eyed assessment of the challenge ahead. “We are not going to the Giro to win it, so our target will be to compete with the other climbers,” Pellizotti added. “The time trial is difficult for him, but we are working hard on it. We’ve adjusted his position over the winter, and it will be an important factor.”

That framing is important. While outright victory is not the declared objective, the focus on “the other climbers” places Buitrago directly into the wider battle behind the pre-race favourites.

The 2026 Giro is expected to centre on a headline duel between Jonas Vingegaard and Joao Almeida, both arriving with clear ambitions of claiming the maglia rosa.

Behind them, however, the race appears far more open. A tightly packed group of contenders, including Richard Carapaz, Mikel Landa, Ben O’Connor and emerging names such as Giulio Pellizzari, are expected to contest the podium places. It is into this space that Buitrago now steps.

His early-season form suggests he is well placed to do so. Victory at Trofeo Laigueglia and seventh overall at Tirreno-Adriatico provided a solid platform, even if he acknowledged a lack of race rhythm at key moments. “What I think I was missing was a bit of race rhythm, because on this kind of route and at this level, it’s decisive.”

That sense of progression defines Buitrago’s Giro outlook. At 26, with experience, results and team backing now in place, the shift from opportunist to leader feels deliberate rather than speculative.

Whether that translates into a genuine podium challenge remains to be seen, particularly against the depth of the 2026 field. But his own framing leaves little doubt about intent.

The Giro will no longer be a race to pick moments. For Buitrago, it is now about holding position across three weeks and seeing how far that step forward can take him.