Vingegaard wins Giro d'Italia to capture fourth Grand Tour title

ROME, May 31 : Denmark's Jonas Vingegaard won the 2026 Giro d'Italia on Sunday to clinch his fourth Grand Tour title, having also won the Tour de France twice before his triumph at the Vuelta a Espana last year.

The Visma-Lease a Bike rider, competing at the Giro for the first time, effectively secured the pink jersey on Saturday when he launched a decisive attack during the climb to Piancavallo on stage 20, extending his overall lead to more than five minutes ahead of second-placed Felix Gall.

Frenchman Paul Magnier (Soudal Quick-step), who won three stages, prevailed in the points classification.

The final stage in Rome concluded with a sprint as Italian Jonathan Milan (Lidl-Trek) thrilled his home crowd with a spectacular attack to win the stage.

Vingegaard, 29, finished the race soon after, surrounded by his teammates, as he became the eighth man to win all three Grand Tours, and the first from Denmark.

"It's amazing. It's something I dreamed of my whole life," an emotional Vingegaard said.

"It's a special day for me... I am lost for words."

The race, a 3,459-km journey that started in Nessebar, Bulgaria, on May 8, ended with a 131-km final stage in Rome, including eight laps of a 9.5-km circuit.

Vingegaard and his teammates celebrated as they began the final stage in Rome, posing for pictures, distributing sweets among race staff and ceremonially riding in the front along with local favourite Giulio Ciccone of Lidl-Trek, who won the mountains classification.

Afonso Eulalio, in the white jersey for the best young rider of the race, also celebrated with his Bahrain Victorious teammates, as the Portuguese 24-year-old finished sixth after holding the overall lead for nine stages until Vingegaard overtook him in the 14th stage.

MI