Vingegaard wins Giro d’Italia to capture fourth Grand Tour title

ROME (Agencies): Denmark’s Jonas Vingegaard ​won the 2026 Giro d’Italia on Sunday to clinch his fourth Grand Tour title, having also won ‌the Tour de France twice before his triumph at the Vuelta a Espana last year. The Visma-Lease a Bike rider, competing at the Giro for the first time, effectively secured the pink jersey on Saturday when he launched a decisive attack during the climb to Piancavallo on stage 20, extending ​his overall lead to more than five minutes ahead of second-placed Felix Gall. Frenchman Paul Magnier (Soudal Quick-step), who won three ​stages, prevailed in the points classification. The final stage in Rome concluded with a sprint as Italian ⁠Jonathan Milan (Lidl-Trek) thrilled his home crowd with a spectacular attack to win the stage. Vingegaard, 29, finished the race soon ​after, surrounded by his teammates, as he became the eighth man to win all three Grand Tours, and the first from ​Denmark. “It’s amazing. It’s something I dreamed of my whole life,” an emotional Vingegaard said. “It’s a special day for me… I am lost for words.”

The race, a 3,459-km journey that started in Nessebar, Bulgaria, on May 8, ended with a 131-km final stage in Rome, including eight laps ​of a 9.5-km circuit. Vingegaard and his teammates celebrated as they began the final stage in Rome, posing for pictures, distributing ​sweets among race staff and ceremonially riding in the front along with local favourite Giulio Ciccone of Lidl-Trek, who won the mountains classification. Afonso ‌Eulalio, ⁠in the white jersey for the best young rider of the race, also celebrated with his Bahrain Victorious teammates, as the Portuguese 24-year-old finished sixth after holding the overall lead for nine stages until Vingegaard overtook him in the 14th stage.

MILAN WINS IN ROME:

As the peloton entered the circuit, early attacks from Nico Denz, Remy Rochas and Tobias Bayer proved to be ​ineffective as the peloton remained ​just over 10 seconds behind ⁠them. Going into the final lap, it was two Italians, Filippo Ganna and Matteo Sobrero, charging down the front with Belgian Jasper Stuyven close behind, with a 19-second lead over the ​peloton. But with three kilometres left, Lukas Kubis led the way as the peloton caught up ​with the breakaway ⁠group. Then, in the final kilometre, Milan scampered to the front to clinch his only stage win of the race. Vingegaard, who had to celebrate his Vuelta a Espana win in a car park after the final stage was cut short by anti-Israel protests, was met ⁠by his ​family at the finish. “It gives me tears in my eyes. They are ​always there for me,” Vingegaard said, as his voice broke. Vingegaard, who has earned five straight top-two finishes in the Tour de France, will challenge for ​his third title in the race when it begins on July 4.