"We have written history once again": Richard Plugge celebrates Jonas Vingegaard's Grand Slam ahead of Rome finale

The peloton will navigate the historic streets of Rome on Sunday for the final stage of the Giro d'Italia, where barring any major surprises, Jonas Vingegaard will officially secure the overall victory. The Danish rider confirmed his dominance during the final mountain stage, riding away to his fifth victory of the race on the slopes of Piancavallo.

In a post-race interview, team CEO Richard Plugge expressed his admiration for how the race concluded. At a point in the Grand Tour where deep fatigue usually levels the playing field, the maglia rosa looked completely untouched by the three weeks of effort.

"Incredible how the team rode around again today. Everyone pays the price today after three weeks of racing, but Jonas is still the strongest. That is great to see."

By wrapping up the general classification in Italy, Vingegaard joins an incredibly exclusive group of riders. In the history of professional cycling, only seven other competitors (Jacques Anquetil, Eddy Merckx, Felice Gimondi, Bernard Hinault, Alberto Contador, Vincenzo Nibali, and Chris Froome) have managed to win all three Grand Tours.

Following his Tour de France victories in 2022 and 2023, alongside his Vuelta a España title last year, his collection of three-week race victories is now complete. "We have written history once again by winning all three Grand Tours with the first rider in this era."

The victory cements an already unforgettable season for the Dutch squad. While the team plans to enjoy the upcoming celebrations, Plugge is also mindful of the biggest objective of the summer, where Vingegaard will have to challenge Tadej Pogacar at the Tour de France.

"We won Paris-Roubaix with Wout and now the Giro with Jonas and he will also be the challenger again in the Tour de France, but let's let this sink in first. I am very proud of the team."