Jonas Vingegaard sealed victory in the Giro d'Italia on Sunday, becoming the eighth rider in history to win all three Grand Tours. The Visma-Lease a Bike rider completed the procession finale in Rome, where home favourite Jonathan Milan claimed the stage honours. Vingegaard's overall triumph was never seriously threatened, and he finished with five stage wins and a lead of 5min 22sec over second-placed Felix Gall.
The 29-year-old Dane, already a two-time Tour de France winner, now adds the Giro to his haul alongside the Vuelta a España, joining Bernard Hinault, Eddy Merckx and Vincenzo Nibali among others in achieving cycling's toughest goal. His victory came without the presence of Tadej Pogacar, his main rival for the Tour, which begins in July.
Speaking to Italian broadcaster RAI, Vingegaard said: "Winning all three is very special for me, it’s difficult to find the words to describe it." He added that he planned to stay in Rome with his family before returning to Denmark to prepare for the Tour. "It all depends on how you come out of the Giro," he said. "If you’re completely exhausted and need two weeks of rest afterwards, it’s not ideal. But I’m not completely exhausted."
For Jonathan Milan, victory on the final stage was his first of this year's edition of his home Grand Tour after a difficult race, while Paul Magnier claimed the points jersey. In the women's Giro, Elisa Balsamo won stage two to extend her overall lead, after Lorena Wiebes was expelled for a non-compliant bike weight. Balsamo inherited the pink jersey and edged Irish sprinter Lara Gillespie and Italian Chiara Consonni on Sunday.
