Bruyneel sees a completely different Vingegaard at the Giro: 'It shows me he has a lot of confidence'

Stage fourteen of the Giro d'Italia looks set to play a defining role in the race. Jonas Vingegaard could take full control on Saturday, but he has been dealing with illness in recent days. Should we be worried — and are there any challengers who sense an opportunity? Johan Bruyneel gives his verdict on his podcast THEMOVE.

Vingegaard currently sits 33 seconds behind Afonso Eulálio. The Portuguese rider is defending admirably, but Bruyneel gives him little chance of holding on. "I think Jonas is going to be in the pink jersey after Saturday," he says. "I don't think Eulálio can keep the leader's jersey, though he will not be far away. He will still be in the top three, top five." Arensman in third still trails Eulálio by over two minutes.

Vingegaard was hit by a virus this week, which has already affected several other riders in this Giro. "He wouldn't say that if it wasn't true, I think. It's easy to say you've been sick once you've recovered from the illness. It could explain why he wasn't super, why he wasn't dominant and why he had a lean time trial. But if he has recovered, it doesn't look good for the rest."

The Belgian therefore expects the Visma | Lease a Bike leader to make his move — and he sees a side of Vingegaard rarely on display. "He is a little bored. He is making jokes in interviews, which he doesn't normally do. He is very relaxed compared to how we normally know him. It shows me he has a lot of confidence and feels good about what is coming."

Bruyneel does see some pitfalls for the Dane, however. "Visma have been lucky. They haven't had to do too much work so far. And in the mountains they are not super strong. They have Kuss and Piganzoli. Campenaerts is strong, but not as strong as in the Tour. It is not easy for them to control. They are missing Kelderman — he was a key figure."

Will the other teams turn up the heat on the Dutch outfit? It is not that straightforward, says the former directeur sportif. With Vingegaard, Kuss and Piganzoli, they still have a formidable block. "Those three together are normally stronger than any other team. Gall has Mühlberger and one other, but they are not as strong as Piganzoli and Kuss."

Given Vingegaard's stated ambitions, Bruyneel expects a genuine GC battle to unfold — and a hard day for anyone hoping to sneak into the breakaway. "It is going to be very hard to get in a breakaway today. There is just so much up and down… They will not go much harder than the bunch, with both Bahrain and Visma | Lease a Bike. And I think Visma | Lease a Bike are going to go all-in for the stage."