Sawt Falasteen - Giro leader Vingegaard eyes remaining career goals

The 29-year-old is bidding to become just the eighth man to complete the clean sweep of three Grand Tours in Italy this month.

Having won the Tour de France in 2022 and 2023, and triumphed at the Vuelta a Espana last year, he is now well-placed in the Giro pink jersey holding a lead of almost two-and-a-half minutes on his nearest challenger, with a week of racing left.

"I just go from year to year. And if I still enjoy it, then I will keep riding," the Visma-Lease a Bike leader said during the Giro's final rest day before a punishing final week which includes three summit finishes.

"This year is my eighth year (as a) pro. I also don't see myself riding until I'm 35. I'm turning 30 (on December 10), so that's actually not in so many years."

First, though, he wants to tick off a few more boxes.

Like his arch rival Tadej Pogacar, Vingegaard targeted some week-long stage races earlier this year that he had not yet won.

His victories at Paris-Nice and the Tour of Catalonia added to previous successes at Tirreno-Adriatico, the Tour of the Basque Country and the Criterium du Dauphine.

But he is yet to win either the Tour de Romandie or the Tour of Switzerland.

"Obviously, this would be a big goal for me winning here in the Giro," said Vingegaard during a video press conference.

"But I also haven't won all the one-week stage races, which also would be nice to win."

Pogacar likewise has targeted Romandie and Switzerland for the first time this year, winning the former three weeks ago and tackling the latter next month.

He has never won the Vuelta, though, meaning that Vingegaard could beat him to the Grand Tour clean sweep.

- 'I focus on myself' -

The Dane will also be aiming to dethrone Pogacar at the Tour in July, and he believes his Giro participation is helping him in that goal.

"I think it can help me in the way that I can get myself to a higher level," said Vingegaard.

"I've seen in the last years that once I've done one Grand Tour, that actually in the second Grand Tour my level has been higher than it actually has in the first one.

"So that's also what we hope for in the Tour."

Pogacar and Vingegaard have finished as the top two at the Tour in each of the previous five editions.

Pogacar won three of those, adding to his first success in 2020, while Vingegaard has come out on top twice.

In the meantime, Vingegaard wants to win at least one more Giro stage -- he has three already -- but this time in the leader's pink jersey.

"Obviously, there's also a lot of chances in the third week," he said.

"I also want to try to win a stage in the pink jersey. So for sure, we will go for at least one more stage."

Pogacar won an incredible six Giro stages in 2024 when he pulled off the Giro-Tour double.

But matching Pogacar is not on Vingegaard's mind.

"I just focus on myself. I know Tadej a little bit, and he's a very nice person as well. So, for me, it's just only thinking about how do I get through this Giro."

E.AbuRizq--SF-PST