🇳🇦NamibiaSouthern Africa
Vingegaard targets Giro d’Italia and Tour de France double, Pellizzari offers home hopes
via The Namibian6 min read
Jonas Vingegaard is set to make his Giro d’Italia debut on Friday, aiming to win both the Italian Grand Tour and the Tour de France in the same year, a feat previously achieved by his rival Tadej Pogacar. Vingegaard, a two-time Tour winner, is considered the favorite for the Giro, with Pogacar not participating this year. The 29-year-old, riding for Visma-Lease a Bike, has had a strong season, winning stage races in Paris-Nice and the Tour of Catalonia. His climbing abilities are well-suited for the challenging three-week route. Vingegaard also seeks to become the eighth man to complete the triple crown of the Giro, Tour, and Vuelta a Espana, a goal he stated would "make a little bit of history." The field for the Giro is strong, though it will be missing last year's podium finishers and other notable riders like Richard Carapaz and Joao Alemeida. The race will feature seven summit finishes and a crucial individual time trial in stage 10. Giulio Pellizzari, the Red Bull-Bora Hansgrohe leader, is expected to provide strong competition on home turf, offering Italian fans hope for a local winner. Pellizzari, who finished sixth in the Giro and Vuelta last season, has shown promising form this year, including a stage race win at the Tour of the Alps.
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This summary was AI-generated from a story originally published by The Namibian.
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