Visma | Lease a Bike backs Piganzoli at the Tour de France after breakout 2026: ‘I once dreamed of winning in these colours’

Davide Piganzoli showed his best side during the Giro d'Italia in May. As Jonas Vingegaard’s lead-out man, he kept pace with the best climbers, finishing eighth in the overall standings. In the Route d'Occitanie, he was rewarded for all his hard work: he won the final stage and, in doing so, clinched the overall victory. And how!

Piganzoli opened up a gap early on in the grueling queen stage. Halfway up the Col de Val Louron-Azet, he pulled away from his rivals, and by the summit he already had a one-minute lead. In the twenty kilometers following the descent, the chasers didn’t get any closer. The 23-year-old Italian crossed the finish line a full 1.42 minutes ahead of the runner-up, securing his first victory for the Killer Bees.

Everyone knew Piganzoli had talent after his strong debut years as a pro with Polti VisitMalta. But no one could have predicted so quickly what he’s been doing this year for his new team. His performances as team leader in the Giro d’Italia were impressive, but in France, the youngster has shown that he’s already ready for the real deal as a team leader.

"It's amazing to get my first win here for this team," he said on his team's website after the one-two finish. "My first race for the team was the Faun-Ardèche Classic, and even then I was already dreaming of winning in these colors someday. Our main goal was to win this stage and the overall classification, so I’m incredibly happy that we succeeded. My teammates played a huge part in this victory. I’m very grateful to them.”

There’s not a word of a lie in that. Visma | Lease a Bike took control for the entire final stage and made a big impression on the decisive climb. First it was Tim Rex’s turn (complete with his magnificent “pain face”), after which Tijmen Graat launched his team leader. In the valley, the Dutch rider played a crucial role by neutralizing the chase on Piganzoli.

Graat ultimately finished 11th in the stage and 10th in the overall standings. “We had a clear plan: to make the race tough,” says the young Dutch rider. “Axel Zingle and Loe van Belle controlled the opening phase. In the mountains, it was up to Tim and me to keep the pace high in the peloton. In the end, Davide was able to finish off the team effort brilliantly. It’s great that we were able to wrap up this stage race with a win.”

In a live broadcast on Tuesday June 23, Piganzoli was named as Wout Van Aert’s replacement for the 2026 Tour de France. Piganzoli joined Visma last winter from the small Polti-VisitMalta squad, but made a very strong impression in the Giro d'Italia. After winning the Route d'Occitanie, a smaller French stage race, the team clearly think he's ready for the biggest race in the world.

At the Tour de France, Piganzoli will join the team as Vingegaard’s high-mountain support rider, alongside Americans Jorgenson and Kuss. Piganzoli was picked over seasoned tour de France riders Wilco Kelderman, Ben Tulett, Bart Lemmen, showing what high regard the team hold the young Italian in.