Jonas Vingegaard (Visma-Lease a Bike) won the 9th stage of the Giro d’Italia on Sunday at the top of Corno alle Scale. Ahead once again of Felix Gall (Decathlon-CMA CGM), the Danish rider claimed his 50th professional victory and will begin the first real rest day – aside from last Monday – not only as the runner-up to Portuguese rider Alfonso Eulalio (Bahrain-Victorious) in the general classification, but also as the top favorite for the overall victory. Vingegaard spoke to various media outlets just after his win.
Video – Jonas Vingegaard at the end of the 9th stage of the Giro d’Italia
“We also gained a lot of time on the Red Bull duo”
“I think today, Felix Gall really wanted to win, so his team (Decathlon-CMA CGM) did a great job. They worked all day and were very strong. Of course, we also wanted to win, so ultimately achieving victory in the stage is something that makes me very happy. I have a 35-second lead over Felix Gall. I believe that is already a significant gap, so I am satisfied with that. Of course, I also want to do well in the time trial on Tuesday. But first, there is a rest day tomorrow and I will take the opportunity to recover calmly. As for the combination of time trial and wearing the blue jersey, I’m not sure if that is a big disadvantage. We will see on Tuesday. Today, we also gained a lot of time on the Red Bull duo, so it was a very good day for us. I think we can clearly say that it was a good operation,” he explains.
“Sometimes, the best defense is the attack, that’s true,” admits the Danish rider. “For now, with two stage wins, the blue jersey, and a very good position in the general classification, we can be very satisfied before the rest day. The Giro d’Italia means a lot to me. If I could win the Giro, I would feel that I have completed a full career. Winning all three Grand Tours would be a dream come true for me,” concludes Jonas Vingegaard in an interview with various media outlets.
