Jonas Vingegaard is on the brink of winning the Giro d'Italia after a dominant performance in the mountains on Saturday's penultimate stage. The Danish rider from Team Visma-Lease a Bike crossed the finish line first, wearing the pink leader's jersey, and now holds a commanding lead of more than five minutes over his closest rival, Felix Gall.
Vingegaard's Path to Victory
The pre-race favorite seized control of the Giro last weekend and, barring a disaster on the final stage, will become just the eighth rider in history to complete the triple crown of road cycling's three-week Grand Tours. A leisurely ride into Rome on Sunday is all that stands between Vingegaard and his first Giro victory, joining legends like Bernard Hinault, Eddy Merckx, and Vincenzo Nibali in winning all three Grand Tours.
Decisive Attack on Piancavallo
Vingegaard increased his advantage over Felix Gall, who attempted but failed to keep pace with the Dane after his late attack on the challenging Piancavallo climb. The Austrian now trails by over five minutes in the general classification as they head to the Eternal City.
The two-time Tour de France winner is aiming for a Giro-Tour double this year, and he has proven too strong for a field that did not include his major rival, Tadej Pogacar. Pogacar will participate in this year's Tour, and the battle between the two is expected to be fierce on the Grande Boucle, road cycling's most prestigious event.
Dominance Throughout the Giro
Vingegaard has demonstrated why he is the biggest threat to Pogacar in Grand Tours, winning five stages and emerging victorious in the Giro despite being ill during the opening week. The 29-year-old was at the front of the peloton when it reached the first of two punishing 14.5-kilometer climbs to Piancavallo, chasing a breakaway that was over four minutes ahead. The gap narrowed to just over two minutes at the start of the second ascent, and Vingegaard made his move just over 10 kilometers from the finish. He easily pulled away from the main group and then from the chasing Gall before surging past the remnants of the breakaway to claim victory.
Mountains Classification
Giulio Ciccone will top the Mountains classification at the end of the Giro. The Italian finished the stage assured of the blue jersey, ahead of Vingegaard. This marks the third Grand Tour Mountains win of Ciccone's career, following his 2019 Giro victory and the polka-dot jersey at the Tour de France three years ago.
