Felix Gall has had an excellent Giro d'Italia so far. © APA/afp / LUCA BETTINI

Tough final week: Gall wants to stay on the Giro podium

A very demanding final week still separates Felix Gall from his hoped-for podium finish at the Giro d'Italia.

25 May 2026

From: dpa/apa

The East Tyrolean rider is currently in third place in the Giro d'Italia after several brilliant performances in the mountains. If he maintains this position until Sunday, he would achieve only the second top-three finish by an Austrian in the over 100-year history of the Grand Tours. The previous record was set by Adolf Christian 69 years ago, who finished third in the Tour de France.

At the Giro d'Italia, Georg Totschnig's fifth-place finish in 2003 remains Austria's best result. If Gall, who finished fifth in last year's Tour de France, can replicate his previous performance after the final rest day at the Giro, second place is certainly within reach. This is because the outsider Afonso Eulalio, currently only half a minute ahead, has noticeably weakened recently. Gall, with the help of his Decathlon teammates, including Gregor Mühlberger, should be able to keep the Portuguese rider and his closest pursuers, such as Thymen Arensman, under control.

East Tyrolean behind Vingegaard “best of the rest”

“So far, things are going better than expected. I’ve confirmed my form in the mountains. That gives me confidence for the final week,” Gall said on Monday after an interval training session near Milan. Only top favorite Jonas Vingegaard has been stronger than the Salzburg resident on the climbs in the first two weeks. The two-time Tour de France winner is already almost three minutes ahead of him. “Being beaten by Jonas is definitely no disgrace. It’s cool to be ‘best of the rest,’ so to speak,” Gall said. The Dane and his Visma team are normally unassailable. “Not really, they’re the strongest team, he’s the strongest rider. I’m concentrating on myself and the fight for the podium.”

Jonas Vingegaard (left) and Felix Gall (right) have caused quite a stir so far. © APA/afp / LUCA BETTINI

Vingegaard sees Gall as his fiercest rival, but remains calm and aggressive due to his current dominance. "Right now, it looks like Felix Gall is a bit stronger than the other guys," said the Dane. The 29-year-old intends to continue his aggressive approach even after three stage wins and a comfortable lead. "There are still several opportunities. I also want to win a stage while wearing the pink jersey. We'll certainly go for at least one more victory." Gall expects to be able to overtake Eulalio soon in the battle behind Vingegaard. "I hope it will happen at the next mountain finish." That comes on Tuesday in Switzerland.

Securing a podium finish is the priority.

The East Tyrolean sees the biggest threat behind him in the form of the Red Bull duo Jai Hindley and Giulio Pellizzari. "It looks good on paper, but the gaps are relatively small, and we still have a very difficult week ahead of us. It's not like my podium finish is guaranteed," said Gall. He added that surprises can't be ruled out. "We're in week three, everything is more unpredictable and a bit harder to control."

Gall will likely battle for the podium positions for much of the race, especially given the expected heatwave, alongside his compatriot Mühlberger, who has been a reliable supporter so far. "It's really special to have him not only as an extremely valuable and strong helper, but also as a good friend and roommate," said the 28-year-old.

Gall needs the support of his teammates. © APA/afp / LUCA BETTINI

If Gall remains unaffected, he could achieve a historic first Grand Tour podium finish for Austria since 1957. However, he hasn't managed a stage win since his triumph in France in 2023. At the Giro d'Italia, Vingegaard will likely continue to prevent that. "The only way to win a stage is through Jonas. He seems to be a level above me, but of course I'll give it a shot," said Gall. His main focus, however, remains on defending his podium position. "The big goal is and remains the podium in Rome; nothing has changed in that regard."