Ten men who plan to challenge Jonas Vingegaard at the 2026 Giro d'Italia

We are all looking forward to Jonas Vingegaard's Giro d'Italia debut, but who is going to make life difficult for the Visma | Lease a Bike man in the fight for the pink jersey? Will the Killer Bees bring home the pink again, after Simon Yates last year? Or will new names emerge, as Isaac del Toro did in 2025? We run through ten contenders.

Before we get into the list, it is worth noting that a number of high-profile names have already withdrawn. João Almeida (UAE Emirates-XRG) and Mikel Landa (Soudal Quick-Step) are both definitely out, while reports of Richard Carapaz (EF Education-EasyPost, third last year) missing the race are growing louder. Even so, the start list still has plenty of quality.

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2025 - Simon Yates
2024 - Tadej Pogacar
2023 - Primoz Roglic
2022 - Jai Hindley
2021 - Egan Bernal
2020 - Tao Geoghegan Hart
2019 - Richard Carapaz
2018 - Chris Froome
2017 - Tom Dumoulin
2016 - Vincenzo Nibali

UAE have three riders in this list, and given the team's record in Grand Tours in recent years, that is no surprise. There is quality to spare at the star-studded outfit, and because they never seem to truly ride for each other without Tadej Pogačar at the helm, any number of riders could pursue personal ambitions in the classification.

Jan Christen is one to watch. The 21-year-old Swiss rider will be making his Grand Tour debut and has long been regarded as a supertalent. Everyone expects him to deliver at some point — could that be in the Giro? After a crash at Milan–San Remo, Christen has been building quietly towards peak form, though a great deal would need to fall into place for him to storm Rome the way del Toro did last year.

Under normal circumstances, Jay Vine might be placed higher, but it is only fair to acknowledge that the 30-year-old Australian has never ridden a Grand Tour classification before and has been carrying a wrist injury since a crash at the Tour Down Under. On social media, though, Vine has posted: "Training is solid, body feels good, and I'm looking forward to racing again."

If Vine can arrive at the Giro in top shape, there are few riders in the peloton who climb harder. He also has a powerful time trial in his legs, and in principle does not need to ride in support of another leader following Almeida's withdrawal. Maybe everything comes together this time, and he becomes the revelation of this Giro.

Still waters run deep — and if you looked that saying up, you would find a photo of Michael Storer. The 29-year-old Australian has been a fixture in the peloton for years, but since joining Tudor in 2024 he has made a remarkable step forward. In 2025 he was already in superb form at the Tour of the Alps, but four(!) crashes in the Giro meant tenth in the general classification was the best he could manage.

He is back in 2026, and the timing looks even better. Storer has been going well in recent weeks, with peak form earmarked for when the Giro really matters. In the past, that kind of precise planning has produced some surprising Grand Tour results — and this race always surprises.

One of the few riders to openly declare he is targeting a podium finish at the Giro is Felix Gall. Decathlon CMA CGM have been remarkably consistent in getting their leaders to peak form, so there is every reason to believe him. The reason Gall lands at number seven, though, comes down to a simple truth he acknowledges himself: there are usually a handful of men who are stronger.

There are rarely many of them, which is why Gall finished fifth at the Tour de France and eighth at the Vuelta a España last year. Fifth at the UAE Tour and sixth in Catalonia this season confirm he is once again a reliable name in any Giro top ten. But could there be even more in the tank?

He was perhaps the big surprise of the 2025 Vuelta, finishing fourth in the general classification. Not because a former Giro winner could not do it, but because crashes and bad luck in recent seasons had left him unable to show it. That Vuelta changed things — in the final week, Hindley was arguably the strongest rider on the road after Vingegaard.

If he can have a clean opening week, everything seems to be pointing in the right direction. Hindley put in a strong winter, kept a low profile in the spring classics as usual, and showed up well in the Ardennes. Paired with Pellizzari in a dangerous tandem, he could be the dark horse who, as in 2022, makes an unexpected grab for power.

Egan Bernal is part of one of the big blocks in the peloton — and still only 29. He forms a leadership duo with Arensman at INEOS, a partnership that worked well at the Tour of the Alps. Knee problems in the winter forced him to build quietly and out of the spotlight, with the Giro as his clear target all along.

Finishing fifth at Liège–Bastogne–Liège is a real confidence boost heading into a Grand Tour. Last year Bernal faded somewhat after two strong weeks, eventually finishing seventh. If he can sustain it this time, he remains a hugely dangerous rider — one who will sacrifice everything for the top prize.

A little national pride never hurt anyone, and the Netherlands can dream of a Giro podium for Thymen Arensman in May. The man beginning his eleventh Grand Tour at just 26 has established himself as a consistent top-ten finisher in recent years: fifth at the Vuelta, twice sixth at the Giro — results any rider would be proud of.

On the occasions when Arensman has fallen outside the top ten, he has been either ill or crashed. Or, as at the 2025 Tour de France, he switched to stage hunting — with two stage wins to show for it. His endurance, recovery ability, stoic mindset, qualities in cold conditions and the strength of the INEOS squad all work in his favour. Arensman says he has taken another step forward this winter, so he has everything to prove — including in the opening weekend and the 42-kilometre time trial on day ten, stages he has often found difficult.

With João Almeida out, UAE could well be looking to the 33-year-old brother of the defending champion to lead the general classification charge. Adam Yates is starting his seventeenth Grand Tour — and he has finished every single one. Crashes, mechanical problems, off days — they have all happened. But when Yates lines up for a three-week race, you can count on him to be there at the end.

His most recent top result, though, dates back to 2023 — third at the Tour de France. His sixth place in 2024 was already at a greater distance from the very best. Can he recapture his absolute peak form? If so, the Giro looks like an ideal race for the compact climber to make his mark once more.

There was a time when we would not have placed a young rider this high in a demanding three-week Giro, but recent years have proven that good enough is truly old enough. Pellizzari was still some way off the very top in 2025, yet he still finished sixth at both the Giro and the Vuelta. Add his 2024 Giro experience and the only question is how big a step he has made this winter.

He told us at the Tour of the Alps that he is mentally a different rider now — someone who only wants to win. Third places at Valencia and Tirreno (with knee pain) and a commanding overall win at the Tour of the Alps give Red Bull — and the rest of us — good reason to believe him.

He has won the Tour de France twice. He added the Vuelta a España last season. That leaves one box still to tick for Jonas Vingegaard. Complete the set and the 29-year-old Dane would finish his Grand Tour trilogy ahead of Tadej Pogačar, who still has the Vuelta on his wish list. That will be no small motivation.

Vingegaard faces strong opposition, but it is only honest to say that, in normal health and without misfortune, he stands well clear of the field as the top favourite. His 2026 results — overall wins at Paris-Nice and the Volta a Catalunya — support that verdict. Away from the spotlight, Vingegaard has been laying the groundwork in training for what could be the best form of his career.