‘Cycling also exists outside of the Tour de France’ – Jonas Vingegaard teases possible Giro d’Italia bid for 2026

Jonas Vingegaard has said that “cycling also exists outside of the Tour de France” as he outlined hopes of one day completing his Grand Tour set at the Giro d’Italia and taking part in more one-day races.

The Dane, who won the Vuelta a España this year after finishing second at the Tour behind Tadej Pogačar, told L’Equipe that a Giro bid could come as early as next season, though he and his Visma-Lease a Bike team haven’t yet worked out a full plan for the 2026 season.

In addition to his Vuelta triumph, he also won the Volta ao Algarve and finished second at the Critérium du Dauphiné, though a crash and concussion at Paris-Nice disrupted his spring.

“It’s a pretty good year. Not the best I’ve had, obviously, I think my 2023 season was better. But finishing second in the Tour de France and winning the Vuelta, it’s not a bad season,” he said.

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“My goal was to win the Tour, so from that point of view I didn’t fulfill my contract, but I still won the Vuelta. So I’d say 7 out of 10, something like that, maybe even 8.

“Cycling also exists outside of the Tour. Obviously, it’s always the most important race, and that’s why I say the season wasn’t perfect either; I would have had to win for that. But there are also many other races, like the Vuelta.

“I enjoyed all the one-week races too. But this season, there was also my crash, my concussion, which put me on hold a bit and affected the rest of the season a bit.”

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He said that he’s now producing the same power he was before his career-threatening 2024 crash at Itzulia Basque Country, but admitted he still has catching up to do to match Pogačar once more.

“In a way, I lost a year and a half of progression, where I focused on getting back to the level I was at before,” he said.

“I just have to hope [I can catch up]… Because before my crash, I was on a really upward curve, I was progressing really fast, so I hope I’m back on that progression curve. We have to see if I improve any more, and I will do absolutely everything I can.”

Vingegaard has a reputation for focussing on stage races over one-day events, having only started Donostia San Sebastián Klasikoa and the Road European Championships in the past two seasons.

By contrast, his great Tour rival Pogačar has raced 24 in that time, winning 14 – including two editions of Strade Bianche and Il Lombardia plus the Tour of Flanders, Liège-Bastogne-Liège, and two world titles.

Vingegaard did, however, express interest in competing in more one-day races, including next season’s Road World Championships, in the future.

“Cycling isn’t just about stage races. There are also big one-day races, even for climbers like me: Liège-Bastogne-Liège, the World Championships this year or next year, Il Lombardia. Lots of great one-day races,” he said.

“So as a cyclist, you want to try. I don’t know when it will be, or if it will ever happen, but it’s something I have in mind, and something I always have. Liège doesn’t fit very well into my preparation before the Tour.

“And if I want to do the Vuelta, it’s difficult to go to the World Championships. It’s a compromise; if I want to do these races, I can’t do some others.”