DEN BOSCH, Netherlands (AP) — Danish cyclist Jonas Vingegaard will make his Giro d’Italia debut this year as he bids to complete a trio of Grand Tours wins.
Vingegaard’s Visma–Lease a Bike team announced Tuesday that Vingegaard will compete in the May 8-31 race.
The 29-year-old Vingegaard won the Tour de France in 2022 and ’23 and last year clinched his first Spanish Vuelta title.
“I have been thinking about riding the Giro for a while now,” Vingegaard said. ”It’s one of the biggest races on the calendar, and it’s also one I have never done before.
“Now feels like the perfect moment.”
He said winning the Vuelta increased his appetite.
“I have already won in France and Spain. Now I want to do the same in Italy,” he said. “Winning the Vuelta last fall only gives me more motivation to go all-in for victory in Italy as well. I would love to add the (Giro winners’) pink jersey to my collection.”
Vingegaard also has his sights on reclaiming the Tour de France title after being beaten by rival Tadej Pogačar in the past two years.
“For me, a truly successful season still depends on winning the Tour,” he said. “Celebrating another victory in Paris is something I continue to dream about.”
He said the Giro’s less tortuous course route this year also played a part in his decision.
“The organization has designed a great course for the Giro,” he said. “Perhaps not as demanding as in recent years, which makes combining the Giro and the Tour a favorable option.”
Vingegaard has been dominated in the climbs in the past two years of the Tour and struggled to contain the unrelenting attacks of Pogačar in the high mountains of the French Alps and Pyrenees.
He feels things may be different this time around.
“This year, the decisive moments of the Tour are expected to come in the final week,” Vingegaard said. “That’s different from recent years. The time gaps might be smaller as a result.”
The 113th edition of the Tour starts July 4 with a team time trial. ___
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