Jonas Vingegaard is set to take a different road towards the Tour de France in 2026, with the Team Visma | Lease a Bike leader confirming plans to ride the Giro d’Italia for the first time as he pursues a unique set of Grand Tour wins.
Speaking in an interview published by his team, the 29-year-old framed the decision in simple terms: after winning overall in France and Spain, he now wants to do the same in Italy.
“Of course that played a role in my decision,” Vingegaard said. “I have already won in France and Spain. Now I want to do the same in Italy.”
The Giro gamble, and the pink jersey ambition
Vingegaard has never started the Giro d’Italia, but he says the idea has been on his mind for some time. What changed, in his telling, is timing and motivation.
“I have been thinking about riding the Giro for a while now. It’s one of the biggest races on the calendar, and it’s also one I have never done before. I really want to experience it, and now feels like the perfect moment,” he said.
Winning the Vuelta a España last autumn has only sharpened that focus.
“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 pink jersey to my collection.”
The language is direct, and notably free of hedging. This is not being presented as a curiosity or a learning year. It is being framed as a full-blooded attempt to win.
Photo Credit: Getty“Good, but not exceptional”, the Tour still defines success
Even after a season that delivered the Vuelta title and a runner-up finish at the Tour de France, Vingegaard’s assessment was unsentimental.
“It was a good year, but not exceptional,” he said. “I have already won the Tour twice. For me, a truly successful season still depends on winning the Tour.”
That is the tension running through his 2026 plan. The Giro is the new target, but the Tour remains the reference point.
“Celebrating another victory in Paris is something I continue to dream about,” he added.
Why Visma believes the Giro-Tour double can work
Vingegaard described the move as a deliberate break from the approach he has followed for the past five years. The team, he suggested, sees the 2026 Giro route as a key reason why the Giro-Tour combination is realistic.
“Over the past five years, my build-up to the Tour has been largely the same. This time we have chosen something new,” he said. “The organisation has designed a great course for the Giro. Perhaps not as demanding as in recent years, which makes combining the Giro and the Tour a favourable option for us.”
The implication is clear. The Giro becomes part of the preparation rather than a distraction from it, provided the course and recovery demands allow the second peak.
Early season programme: UAE Tour and Catalunya before Italy
Vingegaard’s planned run-in is designed to build shape without overloading the spring.
His programme, as outlined by the team, is:
- UAE Tour
- Volta a Catalunya
- Giro d’Italia
- Tour de France
The Tour itself is set to begin in Barcelona with a team time trial, a detail Vingegaard highlighted as an immediate pressure point rather than a spectacle.
“We will need to be sharp right away for the team time trial in Barcelona. That’s a discipline we invest a lot of time in as a team, and it will be a special way to start the race,” he said.
What comes after the Tour remains open
Vingegaard left the post-Tour schedule deliberately undecided, placing all emphasis on the two Grand Tours that will shape his season.
“As for what comes after the Tour, that really depends on how I’m feeling,” he said. “The focus is fully on the Giro first and then the Tour. Those are my main goals. And for those, I’m extremely motivated.”
If the Giro is about completing a trilogy, the Tour is about reaffirming what he believes defines his career. The 2026 season will test whether he can do both without compromise.
