Jonas Vingegaard put the finishing touches on his dominance in the penultimate stage of the Giro d’Italia. The 29-year-old Dane once again asserted his authority in the mountains in impressive fashion, claiming his fifth stage victory. Vingegaard and Team Visma | Lease a Bike now stand on the brink of a historic overall victory in the Giro.
“I had a fantastic day,” Vingegaard said afterward. “It’s special to have five stage wins in this Giro. The goal was to win at least one stage while wearing the pink jersey, but this is even better than I could have imagined. Today, I was also wearing a pink jersey featuring a tribute to the victims of the 1976 earthquake in this region. That makes this victory even more special.”
The final mountain stage of the Giro started in Gemona del Friuli. The riders faced a 200-kilometer route, featuring a double ascent of Piancavallo in the finale. From the very beginning, the riders of Team Visma | Lease a Bike took control of the peloton and set out in pursuit of the early breakaway riders.
The race truly came to life on the final climb. With 10 kilometers remaining, Vingegaard launched his attack. The overall leader quickly dropped all of his rivals. Not long afterward, Vingegaard also passed the last remaining breakaway riders. The Dane then soloed to his fifth stage victory of this Giro d’Italia. For Team Visma | Lease a Bike, it was already their sixth stage win, just one day after Sepp Kuss’s victory.
“The guys did an incredible job today. I had to make my move early on the climb. I attacked sooner than planned, but fortunately I had the legs to finish it off. The team has given everything over the past three weeks, so this victory is absolutely for them. Tomorrow, we’ll enjoy our celebratory day in Rome.”
On Sunday, the Italian capital Rome will host the final stage of the 109th Giro. Barring any mishaps, Vingegaard will secure the first overall Giro victory of his career. In doing so, the Dane will complete his grand tour trilogy.
