Jonas Vingegaard's quest to achieve a rare Grand Tour grand slam by winning the 2026 Giro d'Italia commences in Bulgaria on Friday, marking the double Tour de France champion's debut in the Italian race.
Vingegaard's Dominance and Absent Rivals
The Danish rider, who triumphed in the 2022 and 2023 Tours de France, has been overshadowed by Tadej Pogacar's remarkable season, yet he enters the Giro as the overwhelming favourite to claim victory in Rome on 31 May. This is largely due to Pogacar's absence, along with other elite cyclists prioritising the Tour de France. Success in his first Giro would make Vingegaard the eighth rider to win all three Grand Tours, but the lack of top competition may diminish the achievement.
Notable absentees include Remco Evenepoel, Paul Seixas, Tom Pidcock, Florian Lipowitz, and Isaac del Toro. Seixas, a prodigious French teenager, has chosen to focus on his Tour de France debut in July, where he will become the youngest participant in 89 years.
Vingegaard's Comeback and Form
At 29, Vingegaard faces the threat of being surpassed by younger talents like Seixas, but he has shown signs of returning to peak form after a life-threatening crash in 2024. He won the 2025 Vuelta a España, despite protests, and secured victories in Paris-Nice and the Volta a Catalunya this spring.
His Visma Lease-a-Bike team may feel the time is ripe, but the Giro's unpredictable nature, with its history of freak accidents and extreme weather, means no outcome is certain. This edition marks the first Giro Grande Partenza in Bulgaria and the 15th foreign start in 109 editions, though political unrest and travel cost disputes have marred the planning.
The Route and Challenges
After three days in Bulgaria, the race moves to Italy, heading north through Calabria and Campania before the first major mountain finish at Blockhaus on stage seven. The 2026 Giro features nearly 49,000 metres of climbing and five summit finishes, suiting Vingegaard's strengths. A flat individual time trial midway, over 40km, should not trouble him.
Netcompany Ineos and AI Innovation
Jim Ratcliffe's Ineos team, now rebranded as Netcompany Ineos after a €20 million annual boost from Danish tech firm Netcompany, aims to leverage AI for their first Grand Tour win since 2021. Geraint Thomas has been appointed director of racing, but he emphasises the importance of the art of cycling over pure data.
With increased financial resources, Netcompany Ineos may pursue Seixas, while relying on Egan Bernal's consistency. Bernal, winner of the 2021 Giro and 2019 Tour, has not reached a Grand Tour podium since his high-speed crash. He is dependable in the mountains but unlikely to challenge for the maglia rosa. Ultimately, this Giro is Vingegaard's race to lose.
