Piganzoli will desperately need Vingegaard for major plans at Visma: 'A source of inspiration'
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Follow us on GoogleDavide Piganzoli has more than earned his spot on the Visma | Lease a Bike team in 2026. The 24-year-old Italian joined from Polti VisitMalta, but made an immediate impact in the WorldTour from day one. After five victories and two Grand Tours in 2026, everyone is looking forward to Piganzoli’s next steps, and he sees Jonas Vingegaard as a crucial factor in the team’s big plans.
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Piganzoli won the 2026 Giro dell'Emilia
Piganzoli came up with Del Toro and Pellizzari
Piganzoli is part of an exceptionally talented group from San Marino, which also includes Isaac del Toro (UAE Emirates-XRG) and Giulio Pellizzari (Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe).
Together, they are close friends and training partners, but while Del Toro and Pellizzari made their big breakthrough into the world’s cycling elite in 2025, Piganzoli lagged slightly behind.
Piganzoli proved himself in 2026 working for Vingegaard
At Visma | Lease a Bike, however, the Italian made a comeback in 2026. In the first months of the year, he impressed as a domestique for Vingegaard, from Paris-Nice and the Tour of Catalonia all the way to the Dane’s overall victory in the Giro d’Italia.
Piganzoli performed so well in the Giro that, even as a support rider, he finished eighth overall. When a rider was needed for the Tour de France, he got the call.
Back to back wins in Luxembourg and Italy
Piganzoli had just won La Route d'Occitanie in June, following the Giro, when he was called up for the Tour de France. There, he had a particularly strong third week.
This spoke volumes about Piganzoli’s immense stamina; after two Grand Tours, he took a break to rest and train, and was immediately back on top form, winning a stage and the overall title at the Tour of Luxembourg, as well as the Giro dell’Emilia.
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Piganzoli was crucial for Vingegaard's 2026 Giro win
Piganzoli surprised by his growth at Visma | Lease a Bike
After serving as Giulio Ciccone’s support rider at the World Championships, Piganzoli fell just short of playing a leading role in the Tre Valli Varesine and the Tour of Lombardy.
But ahead of the start of Il Lombardia, he spoke with La Gazzetta dello Sport for an interview, looking quite satisfied. “I’m surprised by my progress. I was expecting gradual improvement, but this was a leap forward.”
Both physically and in terms of his results, Piganzoli hit the ground running at Visma | Lease a Bike. “I’ve changed a lot in terms of nutrition, equipment, and training.
Just riding on such an amazing team, surrounded by champions, makes you approach every day with a different mindset. You start with a goal in mind, like winning the Giro or the Tour.”
Piganzoli won the Giro dell'Emilia.
Piganzoli sees Vingegaard as a role model
Piganzoli’s circle at Visma | Lease a Bike introduced him to Vingegaard, among others. And the Dane has proven to be of crucial importance to the Italian.
“He is, just like Wout van Aert, a genuine, selfless champion. He sent me a message saying he had been following me in the Tour of Luxembourg. That really impressed me; to me, he’s a role model and a source of inspiration.”
Now that Piganzoli has taken a big step forward in 2026, the question is whether he’ll still be used as Vingegaard’s domestique in 2027. Won’t he simply get his own chance in a Grand Tour?
Piganzoli sees a resurgent Italian team filled with young talent
The climber agrees that Italy is suddenly in good shape with him, Pellizzari, and Lorenzo Finn (also Red Bull). “Italy is in good hands, but it’s not good to put pressure on us right now. All three of us will continue to grow.”
"I'm confident that I can be the team leader in a Grand Tour in 2027, but we still need to discuss that with the team," said Piganzoli, who will spend the offseason at his apartment in San Marino.
With Del Toro, Pellizzari, and perhaps Finn as well, the team can look toward 2027 with confidence. “We share a passion for cycling; we don’t have many other passions.”
"I'm happy just to have some ice cream or dinner with friends, next to the bike. Pellizzari bought a barbecue, so we sometimes eat together."
Bram van der PloegEditor-in-chief
Bram van der Ploeg (35) is the proud founder of In de Leiderstrui, IDL Pro Cycling's parent site, launched in 2018. Finally, he could create stories about the sport he had followed since childhood. He is the editor-in-chief on paper, but prefers to be with his recorder next to a rider, a team bus, or in the mud at a cyclocross race. Every year, from February to the end of May, Bram follows the entire Italian cycling season, from the Trofeo Laigueglia to the Giro d'Italia, with the grand finale in October in Lombardy. During that time, he lives in Tuscany, where he has since come to call Italy his 'home'.
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Latest Comments
- The “king is dead” line feels premature. Pogačar has dominated this race for years, and one brilliant Seixas win doesn’t mean his reign is over. The article leans a bit too hard into the hype.patriciaw12-10-2026
- How does Seixas’s win compare with Gerbi’s in 1905? Was the race anything like the Lombardia riders face today?michael5412-10-2026
- Evenepoel finishing fourth while apparently struggling is still a solid result, though it’s surprising he couldn’t carry his European title form into the race.bikebuffj12-10-2026
- Nibali’s point about Del Toro racing Gran Piemonte makes sense. UAE needed him fresh for Lombardia, especially with Pogačar absent.jeremya12-10-2026
- Seixas looked completely in control on Civiglio. Winning Lombardia at that age is extraordinary; the comparisons with Pogačar are inevitable, but he deserves to be judged on his own ride.tourdeforce912-10-2026
- How can he race a mountain-bike event just 15 hours after Lombardia? Does that mean he had to recover on the way there? I’m still figuring out how these races fit together!sprocketspiny12-10-2026
- Winning Lombardia without Pogačar there is still a huge achievement, though the headline makes it sound like Seixas is already chasing him personally. Is there any indication he’s actually considering UAE for 2028?andrewf12-10-2026
- The UAE interest is worth watching, but he’s under contract through 2027 and Decathlon clearly have a major talent to build around. No need to rush the transfer speculation.samanthak12-10-2026
- He’s right to keep Pogačar as the benchmark rather than claiming he’s already there. Second at Strade and Liège, plus fourth on his Tour debut at 19, is an incredible platform.robert6512-10-2026
- Seixas attacking on the Civiglio and then lining up at Roc d’Azur the next day is wild. The win matters, but that appetite to race says a lot about him.julien12-10-2026
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