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Follow us on GoogleVisma | Lease a Bike and Jonas Vingegaard can look back on a successful opening weekend at the Giro d'Italia. The yellow-and-black squad stayed out of trouble as much as possible, and on day two Vingegaard was already going on the attack. The one blemish was Wilco Kelderman's heavy crash — though the Dutchman is making the trip to Italy with the rest of the team.
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"The final Giro stage on Bulgarian soil passed without incident," Visma | Lease a Bike wrote on their official channels. Sports director Marc Reef was able to reflect on the three days outside Italy with a sense of satisfaction.
On day one, Reef saw a "calculated risk" taken and managed well; on day two, an attacking Vingegaard; and on day three, a team that came through cleanly. "The goal was to get through the opening stages safely. With Jonas, that went well."
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The rest day comes at a good time for Visma | Lease a Bike and Kelderman
Reef had described stage 2's finale as "a strong finish" from leader Vingegaard. "That gives a lot of confidence for the rest of this race. The downside is that Wilco went down hard in stage 2. We'll have to see how that develops over the coming days."
The Dutchman came across the finish line on Saturday badly cut up, but he did get back on his bike on Sunday. Kelderman even managed to finish in the front group, though his injuries will no doubt be making themselves felt during Monday's rest day in Italy.
Wilco Kelderman
Visma | Lease a Bike board the plane in face masks
"All in all, we're in a good position and we're looking forward to the rest of the Giro in Italy," Reef concluded ahead of the team's departure for southern Italy, where stage 4 takes place on Tuesday — a potentially explosive stage with crosswinds in the forecast. First, though, a day's rest in the home of the Giro.
Speaking to Danish cycling outlet Feltet after stage 3, Vingegaard briefly touched on the journey from Bulgaria to Italy. "I've packed my face mask and hand sanitiser," he said. He is also hoping for better hotels in Italy. "Last night was the first time I've slept well."
"There was a lot of noise in the first hotel, but that's part of it. That's no problem really. Bulgaria was fine. The people created a good atmosphere, but there were a lot of crashes. The roads here are a bit more dangerous than elsewhere, but that's just how it is. I'm glad we've done it."
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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
- Eight riders told to go for stages, and nobody gets one—hard to know what the plan was there. It’ll be interesting to see whether they pick a clear leader next time.bikebuffj10-11-2026
- Was Bernal’s 20th place really their best GC result? I thought he might have finished higher. Either way, it sounds like a rough Tour for the whole team.gearguru3310-11-2026
- Five days in breaks with no stage win is a painful stat. The team had chances, but they need to turn those opportunities into results.julien10-11-2026
- The Onley Vuelta example makes sense: a team with someone to rally around often looks much more cohesive. Hopefully INEOS can build on that rather than expecting a quick return to the Sky years.cadencekingm10-11-2026
- Thomas is right about the ambiguity. Eight riders all chasing stages can end up pulling in different directions, even if nobody’s deliberately working against anyone. They need a clearer plan once the GC leaders are out.robert6510-11-2026
- What a mess. The report makes it sound as though nobody properly explained the decision, and that’s hard to defend.jennifer1910-11-2026
- I’m still learning the rules: does moving left in a sprint automatically bring a penalty, or does it depend on whether the other rider is blocked? It sounds like Brand wasn’t impeded here.patriciaw10-11-2026
- A final decision still needs a proper explanation. If the federation’s complaint goes nowhere, I hope the officials at least review how they handled the riders afterwards.michael5410-11-2026
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