Vingegaard takes travel precautions as he welcomes Italy switch after slippery Giro start in Bulgaria

After three stages on Bulgarian soil, the peloton now faces a travel day before the race continues in Italy on Tuesday. For Vingegaard, that transfer is not exactly a welcome part of the race.

“I would rather have avoided the travel,” the Dane said to Feltet.dk, adding that he has taken precautions for the trip. “I have brought my mask and hand sanitiser.”

The concern is understandable. Transfers during a Grand Tour can be tiring, while illness is always a risk in a tightly packed peloton. With the Giro only just underway, Vingegaard will want to avoid any unnecessary setbacks before the race reaches Italian roads.

The opening days in Bulgaria were not entirely smooth off the bike either. Vingegaard admitted that sleep had been mixed during the first part of the Giro.

“The first night I slept well was last night. You do not always sleep in equally good hotels,” he said. “There was also a lot of noise at the first hotel, but that is part of it. Yesterday we were at a good hotel, and I slept well.”

Still, the Visma | Lease a Bike leader does not expect the restless nights to affect him once the race resumes.

“No, it will not be a problem at all. It is not like I have slept badly, but I have not slept super well either,” Vingegaard said.

On the road, Visma | Lease a Bike came through the Bulgarian opening block largely as planned. The team’s main goal was to guide Vingegaard safely through the first three stages, and the Dane remains well placed in the overall standings.

After three stages, Vingegaard sits 19th on general classification, ten seconds behind race leader Guillermo Thomas Silva (XDS Astana). He has also conceded a few seconds to rivals such as Egan Bernal (Netcompany Ineos), Thymen Arensman (Netcompany Ineos) and Giulio Ciccone (Lidl-Trek) through bonus seconds in the opening days.

Sports director Marc Reef was satisfied with the team’s start, although Wilco Kelderman’s crash on stage two remains a concern.

“The goal was to get through the opening stages safely with Jonas, and we managed to do that,” Reef said on the team’s website. “His strong finale yesterday gives us a lot of confidence for the rest of the race.”

Vingegaard’s view of the Grande Partenza itself was mixed. He praised the atmosphere in Bulgaria, but also pointed to the road conditions.

“I think it has been okay. There were a lot of people and a good atmosphere on the route,” he said. “But it has seemed very slippery in recent days, and again today someone went down because he slid out in a corner.”

“It may be a little more dangerous than in other places, but that is how it is. I am happy we have made it here,” Vingegaard added.

Now the Giro shifts to Italy, and Vingegaard is ready for that change.

Asked whether he is looking forward to Italy, he replied: “Yes, I actually am.”