Visma's Reef satisfied after brutal stage 5, but where were Vingegaard's Paris-Nice winter tights?
CyclingWednesday, 13 May 2026 at 21:53
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Follow us on GoogleVisma | Lease a Bike looked back on stage five of the Giro d'Italia with a sense of quiet satisfaction on Wednesday. The Dutch squad had sent Victor Campenaerts into the breakaway, and for a moment it looked as though something was being hatched with Jonas Vingegaard. In the end, though, the Dane never had to get involved.
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Stage five unfolded as a pure battle of attrition. As if the 203 kilometres and 3,724 metres of climbing were not enough, the rain came down in sheets all day. Rain, hail, thunderstorms — the riders had everything thrown at them.
"The conditions were extremely challenging — heavy rain, hail, and at times we even saw mudslides on the roads," sporting director Marc Reef told IDL Pro Cycling afterwards, dry and warm beside the team buses.
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Vingegaard could have used his Paris-Nice winter tights
For the GC men and Vingegaard, the final 50 kilometres in particular were hellish. After the steep ascent of the Montagna Grande di Viggiano, the pace dropped completely and only pink jersey holder Giulio Ciccone was left struggling alone at the front.
"Especially on that final 20-kilometre descent, once the pace had died off at the summit, the riders got extremely cold," Reef noted — before breaking into a laugh when asked whether Vingegaard's famous winter tights from Paris-Nice had been packed. "Ha! No! But we got through the day just fine."
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Vingegaard has everything under control so far in the Giro
Vingegaard and Visma have everything under control
And that is precisely what the opening phase of the Giro d'Italia is all about: getting through without losing unnecessary energy. Campenaerts' presence in the front group in stage five was more about precaution than genuine ambition.
"Victor went in the break initially to see whether he could be of any use after the final climb. But he didn't have the legs to stay with the front group, so that ended quickly. Still, Sepp Kuss and Davide Piganzoli were with Jonas throughout the climb and after it. It was all fine," Reef said.
On Thursday a new challenge awaits Vingegaard and his teammates.
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David Bavin-HobbsChief Editor
David has been working in the sports & cycling industry for 16 years. Covering racing, business and technology, he has worked in communications for cycling companies, teams, and as a journalist. His proudest achievement is winning the first bike race he ever entered. He hasn't won a race since.
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Latest Comments
- - Qué carrera, magnifique esprit! Niewiadoma mostrando coraje total, pero Demi otra vez imparable en el sprint. Respect to both.sprocketspiny26-09-2026
- - Not sure the article gives enough tactical detail. Who was in the chase group and what teams were actually pulling? That context matters if we’re judging Kasia’s options in the finale.jennifer1926-09-2026
- - Brilliant race craft from Vollering. That surge at 40km to go forced everyone to burn matches, and Kasia still nearly nicked it. Silver today, but the trajectory for Niewiadoma is clearly up. Keep the faith.patriciaw26-09-2026
- - Can someone explain why a rider who isn’t the best sprinter wouldn’t attack earlier than 40k out? If sprinting isn’t her strength, wouldn’t a longer solo be better?julien26-09-2026
- - Heartbreaker for Kasia again. She’s riding smarter every year, closing that sprint gap bit by bit. Montréal finish really suited Demi’s kick though. Chapeau to both.bikebuffj26-09-2026
- - Grande corsa! Vollering troppo forte, pero Marlen con mucho coraje. Last climb gave me goosebumps.jennifer1926-09-2026
- - Kasia was immense. She covered so many moves and still had a kick on the last ramp. ELB nearly pipped Reusser too—fourth feels harsh, but that’s racing. Chapeau all round.davidm26-09-2026
- - Can someone explain why running out of energy gels happens at this level? Don’t they have team cars or feed zones to avoid that? Seems crazy to lose a medal that way.michael5426-09-2026
- - Not sure I buy Reusser’s take that “everyone was riding for second.” Dutch squad had numbers but they weren’t exactly free to tow the bunch. Also, national-team dynamics always get messy at Worlds. Still, her honesty is refreshing.pedalpowe2926-09-2026
- - What a thriller. Vollering timed it perfectly, but hats off to Reusser for lighting it up and taking big pulls. You could see the moment she looked for a gel and the gap opened—brutal.cyclechamp4526-09-2026
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