Nibali claims to know Vingegaard's Giro d'Italia plan: 'I hope for more'

The Giro d'Italia has so far seen three major days for the GC men, and Saturday brings the fourth. Jonas Vingegaard has looked reasonably in control so far, but what might that mean for what is still to come? Double Giro winner Vincenzo Nibali gave his verdict to La Gazzetta dello Sport.

The Giro is going well for Vingegaard so far. The Dane won stages seven and nine and now sits second in the general classification, still behind the resilient Afonso Eulálio. "He did what he had to do," says Nibali of Vingegaard. "But, particularly compared to Felix Gall, he didn't really build up a big lead."

There is another dimension too: "He didn't give the Austrian a second chance and so went on to take the win. According to the unwritten rules of cycling, those kinds of things shouldn't happen," the Italian believes. "A win is a win. They count, and it's good to take them when you get the chance. That mentality used to be emphasised more — less so now."

Even so, the Dane is in a strong position as second in the GC. "It would be a huge surprise if I didn't see him in pink in Rome. I think he is a truly great rider. But now the real decisive days begin — history has yet to be written."

Nibali has a sense of how Vingegaard plans to approach the race. "He hasn't yet won by five or six minutes, which would put the Giro completely out of reach." A pity, the Italian feels. "I would love to see him put on a great, long show one day. I know he is also looking ahead to the Tour and the battle with Pogačar."

"It's possible that his condition improves a little in the remainder of the race here. He could think about winning a bit of time each day and still win overall," Nibali continued. "That would be understandable, but I hope for something more."

Who could still make life difficult for the Dane? "Felix Gall's terrain is coming. In the climbs so far he has only been beaten by Vingegaard. He has a strong team and a great opportunity to take advantage."

And what about Thymen Arensman? "I'll admit I don't know him as a rider particularly well, but Netcompany-INEOS will be a solid team for him now that Bernal has fallen further behind. I think his two stage wins at last year's Tour de France gave him a real boost. He tends to start slowly in Grand Tours but improves as the race goes on, so he must certainly be considered a contender."