Jonas Vingegaard has taken the lead in the overall standings of the 2026 Giro d'Italia. © APA/afp / LUCA BETTINI

Relentless on the mountain: Vingegaard climbs into the pink jersey

At the first mountain finish of the 109th Giro d'Italia in the Alps, cycling star Jonas Vingegaard took over the pink jersey of the overall leader.

23 May 2026

From: dpa

The previous leader, Afonso Eulálio of Portugal, was unable to keep up on the final climb to the Pila ski resort in the Aosta Valley in northern Portugal, as expected. Vingegaard, the clear favorite for the Giro victory, now leads the general classification by 2 minutes and 26 seconds over Eulálio, with about a week remaining in the race.

The Dane has won the Tour de France twice in the past and the Spanish Vuelta last year. A victory at the Giro d'Italia would mean he has triumphed in all three Grand Tours of cycling.

Third stage win for Vingegaard at the Giro

The 29-year-old overtook the breakaway five kilometers from the finish of stage 14 and took the stage win after 133 kilometers with a total of three category 1 climbs, finishing 49 seconds ahead of Austrian Felix Gall and 58 seconds ahead of Australian Jai Hindley. This was Vingegaard's third stage win overall in this year's Giro d'Italia.

A mass sprint is expected in Milan on Sunday after a flat stage of 157 kilometers. Monday will be the next rest day before the tour concludes in Rome on May 31.