The China Mail - Vingegaard wins Giro d'Italia to complete Grand Tour set

Dane Vingegaard rolled into the Italian capital to add the Giro to a pair of Tour de France titles in 2022 and 2023 and the Vuelta a Espana from 2025, the triple crown of road cycling's three-week showpieces.

Tadej Pogacar has won the Tour de France four times as well as the Giro, but he has yet to win the Vuelta.

The Visma–Lease a Bike rider Vingegaard is just the eighth man to win all three, joining Bernard Hinault, Eddy Merckx and Vincenzo Nibali in reaching one of road cycling's hardest goals.

"Winning all three is very special for me, it's difficult to find the words to describe it," Vingegaard told Italian broadcaster RAI.

Vingegaard added that he would stay in Rome for a few days with his family before returning to Denmark to begin preparations for the Tour de France and a showdown with Pogacar, cycling's biggest star and his key rival for the Grande Boucle, which begins on July 4.

"It all depends on how you come out of the Giro," added Vingegaard.

"If you're completely exhausted and need two weeks of rest afterwards, it's not ideal. But I'm not completely exhausted."

Visma chief Richard Plugge said that his team is a "yellow jersey organisation" and is confident Vingegaard will contend for overall victory on the Tour.

"Jonas is getting even stronger after this. We planned it so that he will be at his peak in the Tour de France, so we're looking forward to that fight," said Plugge.

- Vingegaard dominance -

Vingegaard didn't have Pogacar to contend with on the Giro, which he won without ever really looking like being challenged.

The 29-year-old had little to do on Sunday beyond look at the ancient monuments of Rome's historic centre after finishing the hard work with a classic mountain stage win the day before.

He finishes the Tour with five stage wins and a gap of five minutes and 22 seconds over Austrian Felix Gall in second. Australian Jai Hindley was third.

Afonso Eulalio of Portugal won the white jersey as best young rider, and wore the overall leader's pink jersey for eight stages after claiming a massive lead on a drenched stage five.

Italin veteran Giulio Ciccone won the mountains classification and French rookie Paul Magnier won the sprint points jersey due to his three stage wins.

For Milan, crossing the line first in Rome after a typically powerful late burst salvaged his Giro, the Italian winning his first stage of this year's edition of his home Grand Tour.

"I'm pleased to have finished my Giro this way," Milan told RAI.

"It's important in terms of just winning something. It wasn't easy always being close but not quite getting there."

Milan, who beat countryman Giovanni Lonardi and Paul Penhoet to the line, finished the Giro 47 points behind Magnier.

Z.Ma--ThChM