{"id":244722,"date":"2026-05-22T18:41:18","date_gmt":"2026-05-22T18:41:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/2026\/05\/22\/its-the-right-time-to-take-the-pink-jersey-jonas-vingegaard-and-visma-lease-a-bike-finally-ready-to-take-control-of-the-giro-ditalia\/"},"modified":"2026-05-22T18:41:18","modified_gmt":"2026-05-22T18:41:18","slug":"its-the-right-time-to-take-the-pink-jersey-jonas-vingegaard-and-visma-lease-a-bike-finally-ready-to-take-control-of-the-giro-ditalia","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/2026\/05\/22\/its-the-right-time-to-take-the-pink-jersey-jonas-vingegaard-and-visma-lease-a-bike-finally-ready-to-take-control-of-the-giro-ditalia\/","title":{"rendered":"&#8216;It&#8217;s the right time to take the pink jersey&#8217; \u2013 Jonas Vingegaard and Visma-Lease a Bike finally ready to take control of the Giro d&#8217;Italia"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><\/p>\n<div id=\"article-body\">\n<p id=\"elk-d3b3a025-8b68-4d09-b1b4-222cb9411c3a\"><a data-analytics-id=\"inline-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.cyclingnews.com\/riders\/jonas-vingegaard\/\" data-url=\"https:\/\/www.cyclingnews.com\/riders\/jonas-vingegaard\/\" data-hl-processed=\"none\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"inline-link\" data-before-rewrite-localise=\"https:\/\/www.cyclingnews.com\/riders\/jonas-vingegaard\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Jonas Vingegaard<\/a> and his Visma-Lease a Bike team appear ready to finally take control of the <a data-analytics-id=\"inline-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.cyclingnews.com\/giro-d-italia\/\" data-url=\"https:\/\/www.cyclingnews.com\/giro-d-italia\/\" data-hl-processed=\"none\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"inline-link\" data-before-rewrite-localise=\"https:\/\/www.cyclingnews.com\/giro-d-italia\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Giro d&#8217;Italia<\/a> on the first five-star-rated mountain stage around the Val d&#8217;Aosta on Saturday.<\/p>\n<p>Vingegaard and his team have been happy for Afonso Eul\u00e1lio (Bahrain Victorious) to carry the burden of the maglia rosa and let numerous breakaways fight for the daily stage victories.<\/p>\n<p><a id=\"elk-seasonal\"\/><\/p>\n<aside data-block-type=\"embed\" data-render-type=\"fte\" data-skip=\"dealsy\" data-widget-type=\"seasonal\" class=\"hawk-root\"\/>\n<p id=\"elk-d3b3a025-8b68-4d09-b1b4-222cb9411c3a-2\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">Now they seem ready to put their cards on the table and confirm their intentions to win the Giro. Vingegaard has <a data-analytics-id=\"inline-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.cyclingnews.com\/pro-cycling\/racing\/giro-d-italia-gc-standings-2026\/\" data-url=\"https:\/\/www.cyclingnews.com\/pro-cycling\/racing\/giro-d-italia-gc-standings-2026\/\" data-hl-processed=\"none\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"inline-link\" data-before-rewrite-localise=\"https:\/\/www.cyclingnews.com\/pro-cycling\/racing\/giro-d-italia-gc-standings-2026\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">33 seconds to make up<\/a> on the Portuguese racer, who has held the lead since stage 5.<\/p>\n<div class=\"my-6 w-full overflow-hidden rounded-[10px] lg:my-8\" data-component-name=\"JwPlayer:Carousel\" data-jwp-carousel=\"\" data-jwp-carousel-payload=\"{&quot;ids&quot;:{&quot;playerID&quot;:&quot;jYDCcabO&quot;,&quot;searchPlaylistID&quot;:&quot;gwjdoYHD&quot;,&quot;divID&quot;:&quot;botr_gwjdoYHD_jYDCcabO_div&quot;,&quot;fallbackPlaylistID&quot;:&quot;gwjdoYHD&quot;,&quot;fallbackDivID&quot;:&quot;botr_gwjdoYHD_jYDCcabO_div&quot;,&quot;key&quot;:&quot;X9\\\/mXVGac0NphghLH9hZaqWA5d3dhAM\\\/Ih07grnEyMLjuO2E&quot;,&quot;tintLogo&quot;:true,&quot;useSearchPlaylist&quot;:false,&quot;enabled&quot;:true},&quot;signPostingEnabled&quot;:true,&quot;signPostingLinkEnabled&quot;:true,&quot;waitForAdLoad&quot;:false,&quot;hidePlayerOnDesktop&quot;:false,&quot;hidePlayerOnMobile&quot;:false,&quot;hidePlayerOnTablet&quot;:false}\">\n<div class=\"flex flex-nowrap items-center justify-between gap-3 bg-zinc-900 px-[14px] py-3\" data-jwp-carousel-header=\"\">\n<div class=\"flex min-w-0 shrink items-center\"><span class=\"inline-flex items-center gap-1.5 text-sm font-article-heading capitalize leading-5 text-white whitespace-nowrap\"><span class=\"jwp-carousel-title-mobile\"\/><span class=\"jwp-carousel-title-desktop\">Latest Videos From<\/span><span class=\"jwp-carousel-brand inline-flex items-center\" aria-hidden=\"true\"><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"aspect-video w-full min-h-[200px] lg:min-h-[330px] relative overflow-hidden bg-black\" data-jwp-carousel-container=\"\">\n<div class=\"absolute inset-0 size-full items-center justify-center bg-white\" data-jwp-carousel-fallback=\"\"><img decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" data-new-v2-image=\"true\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/flexiimages\/gmvwmhupgi1715762145.svg\" data-pin-media=\"https:\/\/cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net\/flexiimages\/gmvwmhupgi1715762145.svg\" class=\"rounded-[var(--image--border-radius,0)] max-h-12 w-auto\"\/><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<aside data-component-name=\"Recirculation:ArticleRiver\" data-recirculation-type=\"inline\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"Trending Bar\" data-nosnippet=\"\" class=\"clear-both pt-2 pb-0 mb-4\">\n        <span class=\"&#10;            flex&#10;            after:content-[''] after:flex-1 after:ml-4 after:my-[0.7rem] after:border-t after:border-solid after:border-t-[#ccc]&#10;            before:content-[''] before:flex-1 before:mr-4 before:my-[0.7rem] before:border-t before:border-solid before:border-t-[#ccc]&#10;            font-article-heading pb-0 text-[length:var(--article-river-title--font-size,1em)] uppercase sm:text-[length:var(--article-river-title--font-size,0.875em)] font-bold&#10;        \"><br \/>\n            You may like<br \/>\n        <\/span><\/p>\n<\/aside>\n<p aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">&#8220;I&#8217;m ready, so is the team,&#8221; Vingegaard said after stage 13 to Verbania, apparently switching mentally and physically to racing in the mountains and showing his true form after being evasive at the start of the day.<\/p>\n<p aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">&#8220;It&#8217;s a stage I&#8217;d like to go for. It would be fantastic to get the pink jersey, and the goal is to have it in Rome. I&#8217;ve always said that every day you wear a leader&#8217;s jersey is an honour.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">Loyal super domestique <a data-analytics-id=\"inline-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.cyclingnews.com\/riders\/sepp-kuss\/\" data-url=\"https:\/\/www.cyclingnews.com\/riders\/sepp-kuss\/\" data-hl-processed=\"none\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"inline-link\" data-before-rewrite-localise=\"https:\/\/www.cyclingnews.com\/riders\/sepp-kuss\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Sepp Kuss<\/a> has enjoyed a quiet race so far, but also seems ready for the team to stamp their authority on the Giro on <a data-analytics-id=\"inline-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.cyclingnews.com\/pro-cycling\/racing\/2026-giro-d-italia-stage-14-preview\/\" data-url=\"https:\/\/www.cyclingnews.com\/pro-cycling\/racing\/2026-giro-d-italia-stage-14-preview\/\" data-hl-processed=\"none\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"inline-link\" data-before-rewrite-localise=\"https:\/\/www.cyclingnews.com\/pro-cycling\/racing\/2026-giro-d-italia-stage-14-preview\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">stage 14<\/a>, which features five classified climbs.<\/p>\n<p aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">&#8220;It&#8217;s the right time to take the pink jersey. We wouldn&#8217;t turn it down,&#8221; the American told <em>Cyclingnews<\/em>.<\/p>\n<p aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">&#8220;Perhaps Afonso Eul\u00e1lio hangs on to it if he measures his efforts, but we&#8217;ll focus on our race. The stage to Pila is short, but there&#8217;s a lot of climbing. It will be an important day, not the most important, but we&#8217;re in a good place for whatever happens. We&#8217;re ready for the hard days coming up.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">Expect <a data-analytics-id=\"inline-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.cyclingnews.com\/road\/teams\/uci-worldtour\/2026\/visma-lease-a-bike\/\" data-url=\"https:\/\/www.cyclingnews.com\/road\/teams\/uci-worldtour\/2026\/visma-lease-a-bike\/\" data-hl-processed=\"none\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"inline-link\" data-before-rewrite-localise=\"https:\/\/www.cyclingnews.com\/road\/teams\/uci-worldtour\/2026\/visma-lease-a-bike\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Visma-Lease a Bike<\/a> to be well placed at the head of the peloton on Saturday to protect Vingegaard, but don&#8217;t expect them to blow the race apart on the early climbs. They are likely to race carefully and calculatingly.<\/p>\n<p aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">Team directeur sportif Marc Reef remains cautious but also seems ready to take control of the Giro.<\/p>\n<aside data-component-name=\"Recirculation:ArticleRiver\" data-recirculation-type=\"inline\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"Trending Bar\" data-nosnippet=\"\" class=\"clear-both pt-2 pb-0 mb-4\">\n        <span class=\"&#10;            flex&#10;            after:content-[''] after:flex-1 after:ml-4 after:my-[0.7rem] after:border-t after:border-solid after:border-t-[#ccc]&#10;            before:content-[''] before:flex-1 before:mr-4 before:my-[0.7rem] before:border-t before:border-solid before:border-t-[#ccc]&#10;            font-article-heading pb-0 text-[length:var(--article-river-title--font-size,1em)] uppercase sm:text-[length:var(--article-river-title--font-size,0.875em)] font-bold&#10;        \"><br \/>\n            What to read next<br \/>\n        <\/span><\/p>\n<\/aside>\n<p aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">&#8220;It wasn&#8217;t a bad situation that we didn&#8217;t have pink until now. If we take it on Saturday, it would be good. It&#8217;s the first out of four really hard mountain days,&#8221; he admitted to <em>Cyclingnews<\/em>.<\/p>\n<p aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">&#8220;I think from the beginning of the Giro we accepted the responsibility of being the favourite, but that doesn&#8217;t mean that we underestimate riders or teams. On Saturday, we will be ready for every scenario, but we also have a plan ready to bring Jonas in the best possible position on the final climb.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">Vingegaard is also targeting the <a data-analytics-id=\"inline-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.cyclingnews.com\/tour-de-france\/\" data-url=\"https:\/\/www.cyclingnews.com\/tour-de-france\/\" data-hl-processed=\"none\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"inline-link\" data-before-rewrite-localise=\"https:\/\/www.cyclingnews.com\/tour-de-france\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Tour de France<\/a> this summer, and so is calculating every effort. Visma have already learned the hard way and the best way that the Giro can also change dramatically in the last week.<\/p>\n<p aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">Last year, they <a data-analytics-id=\"inline-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.cyclingnews.com\/races\/giro-d-italia-2025\/stage-20\/results\/\" data-url=\"https:\/\/www.cyclingnews.com\/races\/giro-d-italia-2025\/stage-20\/results\/\" data-hl-processed=\"none\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"inline-link\" data-before-rewrite-localise=\"https:\/\/www.cyclingnews.com\/races\/giro-d-italia-2025\/stage-20\/results\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">snatched victory with Simon Yates<\/a> on the final mountain stage to Sestriere, echoing Primo\u017e Rogli\u010d&#8217;s stage 20 mountain time trial triumph, which took the maglia rosa from Geraint Thomas.<\/p>\n<p aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">Yet they have also endured the pain of Giro defeat with Rogli\u010d in 2019 and Steven Kruijswijk in 2016.<\/p>\n<p aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">&#8220;In the past three or four years, the Giro leader&#8217;s jersey changed hands in the final stages, so we just need to stay sharp,&#8221; Reef warned.<\/p>\n<p aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\">&#8220;A lot can happen in the final week. Things have already happened several times in this Giro. We need to stay on top of things. Our goal is that we want to have the pink jersey and final victory in Rome.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"kiosq-b\"><em><strong>Who will challenge Jonas Vingegaard at this year&#8217;s Giro d&#8217;Italia? Subscribe to Cyclingnews for unlimited access to our coverage of the Corsa Rosa. Enjoy unrivalled reporting from our team of journalists on the ground, including breaking news, analysis, and more, from every stage as it happens, plus access to the Cyclingnews app to follow the action on the go! <\/strong><\/em><a data-analytics-id=\"inline-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.cyclingnews.com\/subscription-paid\/?utm_source=Referral+link&amp;utm_medium=Website&amp;utm_campaign=Giro26\" target=\"_blank\" data-url=\"https:\/\/www.cyclingnews.com\/subscription-paid\/?utm_source=Referral+link&amp;utm_medium=Website&amp;utm_campaign=Giro26\" data-hl-processed=\"none\" data-mrf-recirculation=\"inline-link\" data-before-rewrite-localise=\"https:\/\/www.cyclingnews.com\/subscription-paid\/?utm_source=Referral+link&amp;utm_medium=Website&amp;utm_campaign=Giro26\" rel=\"noopener\"><u><em><strong>Find out more<\/strong><\/em><\/u><\/a><em><strong>.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.cyclingnews.com\/pro-cycling\/teams-riders\/its-the-right-time-to-take-the-pink-jersey-jonas-vingegaard-and-visma-lease-a-bike-finally-ready-to-take-control-of-the-giro-d-italia\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Source link <\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Jonas Vingegaard and his Visma-Lease a Bike team appear ready to finally take control of the Giro d&#8217;Italia on the first five-star-rated mountain stage around the Val d&#8217;Aosta on Saturday. Vingegaard and his team have been happy for Afonso Eul\u00e1lio (Bahrain Victorious) to carry the burden of the maglia rosa and let numerous breakaways fight [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":244723,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"tdm_status":"","tdm_grid_status":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[6804],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-244722","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-cycling"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/244722","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=244722"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/244722\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/244723"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=244722"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=244722"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sports.runfyers.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=244722"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}