Gall: "A Giro Podium Is More Than a Dream" — Austrian Targets First Grand Tour Top Three With Decathlon-AG2R
Felix Gall has declared that finishing on the podium at the Giro d'Italia is "more than a dream" as the Austrian prepares for the biggest Grand Tour objective of his career. The 27-year-old Decathlon-AG2R La Mondiale climber has reshaped his entire 2026 season around the Italian three-week race, which begins in Bulgaria on 8 May, and believes he has the form to challenge cycling's established Grand Tour elite.
Speaking in an interview published on the official Giro d'Italia website, Gall outlined his ambitions without hesitation. "With the Giro and the Vuelta, things change a bit, and the goal is to try to finish on the podium in at least one of the two races," he said. It is a notable step up from a rider who finished fifth at the 2025 Tour de France and eighth at the Vuelta a España — strong results, but not quite the breakthrough performance he craves.
The decision to target the Giro marks a significant shift in Gall's race calendar. After building his Grand Tour pedigree exclusively at the Tour de France in 2023, 2024 and 2025 — a journey that included a memorable stage victory at the Col du Tourmalet — the Austrian has decided that the Giro offers a more realistic route to the podium. His only previous appearance at the race came in 2022, during his first season with AG2R, and he admits it was a learning exercise more than a genuine tilt at the classification.
"It was my first-ever Grand Tour, and I wasn't anywhere near the level I've reached today," Gall reflected. The Austrian has improved considerably since then, finishing fifth at the UAE Tour and sixth at the Volta a Catalunya this spring, including a podium finish on the queen stage in the Middle East and a strong second place on the decisive mountain stage in Catalonia. Those performances suggest a rider who is peaking at exactly the right moment.
The Giro field will be formidable. Jonas Vingegaard arrives as the clear favourite after a dominant early-season campaign, while João Almeida will have the full backing of UAE Team Emirates-XRG in a race he has previously finished on the podium. Richard Carapaz, the 2019 champion, and the rapidly-improving Giulio Pellizzari add further depth to a GC battle that could be one of the most competitive in years. Yet Gall is undeterred. "I believe in my abilities and, with the right work, I'm convinced I can compete with the very best," he said.
There is one variable that gives the Austrian pause. "I'm a bit concerned about bad weather — I definitely prefer the heat," he admitted, a reasonable worry for a race that starts in the Balkans and traditionally delivers cold, wet mountain stages in late May. But with the 2026 route featuring a 40km time trial and a reduction in total climbing compared to recent editions, the parcours may suit a rider of Gall's profile — strong against the clock and capable of limiting losses on the steepest gradients while excelling on longer, steadier ascents.
After the Giro, Gall plans to return to the Vuelta a España, giving him two bites at the Grand Tour podium cherry in 2026. It is an ambitious but carefully constructed schedule from a rider who acknowledges there is still room for growth. "It's true, last season was very good, but I think there's still room to improve," he said. For a rider who has risen from domestique duties to genuine GC contender status in the space of three years, few would bet against him.