"Vingegaard gives more space to the breakaways" - Warren Barguil targets late-race opportunities at the Giro

Warren Barguil was not originally expected to line up for the Giro d'Italia 2026, but after weeks of recovery and persistent conversations with his team, the experienced Frenchman convinced Team Picnic PostNL to give him a place in the squad for the Italian Grand Tour.

Barguil explained that his season took an unexpected turn following his heavy crash at the Tour of the Alps, where he suffered a broken collarbone, hip injuries and two fractured ribs. Despite those setbacks, the Breton climber remained determined to salvage part of his campaign with a Giro appearance.

“After the Tour de Romandie I was supposed to continue with an altitude camp to prepare for the Tour de France,” Barguil told CyclingPro. “But after my crash I pushed the team to include me in the Giro because I was really motivated to do it. I didn’t expect to get the call so late. My sports director called me and asked if I was still motivated for the Giro. Between another training camp and a beautiful three-week race, partly in Italy and starting here in Bulgaria, the choice was easy.”

The 34-year-old admits his condition is still improving day by day, meaning his ambitions are focused more on the latter half of the race rather than the explosive opening week. Barguil believes the second and third weeks could offer valuable opportunities for aggressive riders willing to attack from distance.

“I’m very happy to be here at the start”, he said. “I know my condition is not yet at 100%, but the motivation is there. So I hope I can enjoy myself in the second and third week and be involved in some breakaways during this Giro. I’m especially looking at the second and third week. I also want to be important around the younger riders in the group and share my experience with them. That’s also what motivates me to be here.”

For Team Picnic PostNL, the Giro already carries extra importance after a difficult opening phase to the season. The squad has managed just one victory so far in 2026, courtesy of Casper van Uden at the Tour of Turkey, and the Dutch sprinter is again expected to lead the team’s hopes in the fast finishes.

Barguil believes the Giro represents a chance for the team to reset its campaign and show greater competitiveness on cycling’s biggest stage races.

“We still hope to win a stage this year at the Giro,” Barguil explained. “We are a Grand Tour team, we had a difficult start to the season and I hope that, like every year, we will show at the Giro that we exist and that we are competitive.”

Breakaways should have more opportunities than usual according to the Frenchman, especially because, on paper, the team expected to control the race will be Team Visma | Lease a Bike led by Jonas Vingegaard, rather than UAE Team Emirates - XRG, as is normally the case when Tadej Pogacar is racing.

“I see a lot of opportunities. I also see that Pogacar is not here, so Vingegaard often gives more space to the breakaways. So yes, there will be many opportunities in the second and third week. It will be up to us to take them and be at the front. I think we have a team built both for the sprints and for the breakaways. So it will be an interesting Giro for us”.