Vingegaard reveals he'd 'prefer the Giro' if he could win just one more race

When asked in an interview by Marca during the Saitama Criterium which race he would choose if he could only win once more in his career, Vingegaard stated, “I think I'd prefer the Giro d'Italia.”

Despite being a three-time Grand Tour champion and having raced eight Grand Tours in his career, Vingegaard has yet to make an appearance at the Italian Grand Tour, and with the recent dominance of Tadej Pogačar at the Tour de France, the Giro could become a realistic ambition for the Dane to add to his collection.

The route for the 2026 Giro d’Italia was revealed on December 1, with both Vingegaard and Remco Evenepoel’s names having swirled around the rumour mill as potential participants. The Dane remained non-committal about his 2026 race calendar, including whether he'll target the only Grand Tour missing from his palmares. 

Despite this, Vingegaard maintained the fact that the Tour de France remains a major goal, despite his interest in winning the Giro, due to the sheer significance of the race, and despite the presence of the seemingly infallible Pogačar, he will continue to hunt for a third yellow jersey over the coming seasons alongside other ambitions.

"I think the Tour de France is so big that if you have even a small opportunity, you want to go for it. The Tour is huge, and it's difficult to win there," said Vingegaard.

The 28-year-old Dane reflected honestly on his 2025 season as a whole, which featured his first Vuelta a España victory despite the challenging circumstances, including the protests, that led to an abrupt ending to the race on the typical procession stage in Madrid.

"In the end, I think it was a good season. Not the best I've had. Of course, I won La Vuelta and finished second in the Tour de France. That's a great result, obviously. But to be able to say it was my best season, I would have had to win the Tour de France as well," Vingegaard admitted.

The Visma | Lease a Bike rider described the unusual atmosphere surrounding his La Vuelta victory. "It wasn't easy. We talked a lot about everything that was happening... There was a lot of uncertainty because we didn't know if we could finish each stage. And in Madrid, there was a moment of anticlimax. Finally, we did it, and we won. We couldn't have the ceremony there, but everything we did with the team was wonderful."

Vingegaard was also open about the consequences he still faces after his serious crash at Itzulia Basque Country in 2024, stating, "I wouldn't say fear, but definitely more concern than before. Before, I was perhaps more reckless: I thought I knew how to brake, that I knew how to handle the bike, that it wouldn't happen to me."

Looking ahead, he hopes for "a season without breaks" while maintaining perspective about his eventual retirement priorities. "First, be with my family and my children. It's something I'm missing a lot right now. That will be my priority. Being a father, more than anything."