“It’s absolutely amazing, a dream come true”, Vingegaard beams afterward. “It’s something I honestly never thought would be possible. I really have to thank the team for that. My teammates worked incredibly hard today, and I’m very happy that I was able to finish it off for them. It’s truly been a fantastic day for us.”

Vingegaard becomes the 115th rider in the history of cycling to win a stage in the Giro d’Italia (1), Tour de France (4), and Vuelta a España (5). The Dane achieved the milestone by by finishing solo at top of the Blockhaus, following strong work from his teammates. The yellow-and-black squad controlled the race throughout the day, kept the breakaway within reach, and ensured that Vingegaard was perfectly positioned both before and on the slopes of the Blockhaus.

After powerful efforts from Davide Piganzoli and Sepp Kuss on the final climb, Vingegaard launched his attack. The 29-year-old rider soon dropped both Felix Gall and Giulio Pellizzari before soloing uncontested to the stage victory atop the Blockhaus. With the win, Vingegaard moves up to second place in the general classification. He now trails pink jersey holder Afonso Eulálio by just over three minutes.

“It was a very tough climb. There was a strong headwind, which made it even harder. Once the moment came to attack, I didn’t hesitate”, Vingegaard explains. “It’s great that I was able to take back a lot of time on Eulálio today and gain an advantage over the rest of my rivals. Felix was incredibly strong today and is definitely someone we have to keep an eye on. We’re really looking forward to what the rest of the Giro d’Italia will bring.”

For Team Visma | Lease a Bike, it marks a fifteenth consecutive Grand Tour with at least one stage victory.