Runner-up Felix Gall gives honest appraisal about how Vingegaard saw him at the Giro

The Giro d’Italia fell into place on Saturday, but the podium had already been decided on Friday. Alongside Jonas Vingegaard of Visma | Lease a Bike, Felix Gall of Decathlon CMA CGM and Jai Hindley of Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe sealed the top three places. Here are their reactions after the final mountain stage to Piancavallo.

Gall also briefly tried to follow Vingegaard on Saturday, but quickly saw the pointlessness of that attempt. He then dropped back to the group with Hindley and Derek Gee-West, whom he beat in the final metres.

“I was in Jai and Derek’s wheel and could do a good sprint,” said the Austrian, who is more than deservedly finishing second in the Giro, to CyclingProNet. “The team was very good again and we can be very proud of these three weeks.”

“Each and every one of us has taken a step forward, and that is very impressive to see,” he said, referring among others to compatriot Gregor Mühlberger and mood-maker Oliver Naesen. “We also have a very nice, friendly group. When things are going well, that is easy to say. But it was already like that from the start, there was good energy straight away.”

When Gall is asked whether he tried to tire Vingegaard out with an eye on the Dane’s upcoming Tour clash with Paul Seixas, he laughs.

“It would be nice if that was the plan, but I don’t think Vingegaard was really worried about me. I have said it a few times already, but he was clearly on another level. I can’t really say more than that.”

“We started this Giro with the goal of riding onto the podium, and I knew it was possible, but that it all had to come together. In preparation everything went well, because physically I was even better than in previous years. We also had no bad luck, so that helped too,” Gall said, summing up his Giro, before later in the season riding the Vuelta.

Hindley found it tough on Saturday after passing Thymen Arensman a day earlier.

“It was a very hard day. I was quite tired after Friday, but I probably wasn’t the only one. It is very nice that I am still on the podium,” the Aussie told Eurosport.

“There is still one day to go, but it is very nice. It has been a while since I last rode onto a Grand Tour podium, so to be back in there is really cool. Last year I was close in the Vuelta.”

“Grand Tours are the pinnacle of cycling for me, and being able to compete in them is why I ride a bike. I had it in mind to try to drop Felix, but the legs told a different story, so to speak,” Hindley laughed. He also had no plan for Sunday anymore. “I think it is done. At least I hope so.”