Voigt: "The Giro d'Italia Is a Luxury Training Camp for Vingegaard" — Why the Double Bid Makes Perfect Sense
Jens Voigt has delivered his most emphatic endorsement yet of Jonas Vingegaard's decision to attempt the Giro-Tour double in 2026, calling the Giro d'Italia "a luxury training camp" that will make the Dane "even stronger" for his July showdown with Tadej Pogacar at the Tour de France.
The former German time trial champion and cycling pundit believes Visma-Lease a Bike's strategy of adding the Giro to Vingegaard's programme is not the gamble it might appear. "People are treating this like a risk, but I see it as the opposite," Voigt told Cycling Lookout. "Jonas has changed his build-up this year. Paris-Nice, Catalunya — he has been dominant. He's a rider who thrives on racing. Three weeks of high-intensity climbing in Italy is exactly the stimulus he needs before the Tour."
The numbers support Voigt's argument. Vingegaard has been the standout Grand Tour contender of the early season, winning Paris-Nice in commanding fashion before taking the Volta a Catalunya with two stage victories and a decisive mountain move that put the race beyond doubt. His trajectory suggests a rider peaking at exactly the right moment to take on two three-week races in rapid succession.
The Dane himself has expressed excitement about his maiden Giro start. Vingegaard admitted in a recent interview that winning the Giro held a special allure — victory in Italy would complete the set of all three Grand Tours, a milestone that only a handful of riders in history have achieved. The race begins on May 8 with a historic Grande Partenza from Bulgaria, and the route's seven mountain finishes are tailored to a climber of Vingegaard's calibre.
Voigt drew a comparison with past champions who thrived on volume. "Look at Indurain, look at Merckx — they raced constantly and it made them better. Jonas is from that mould. He doesn't fade with more racing; he sharpens. The Giro will strip away any residual rust and deliver him to the Tour start line in Barcelona as lean and dangerous as he has ever been."
The key to the double bid lies in Vingegaard's altitude camp strategy. Visma have scheduled a crucial high-altitude block between the Giro's finish and the Tour's start on July 4 in Barcelona, giving the Dane approximately four weeks to recover, consolidate his Giro fitness and add the final layer of form. It is a tight turnaround, but one that Pogacar himself navigated successfully in 2024 when he won both races.
Not everyone is convinced. Some analysts point to the cumulative fatigue of two Grand Tours in quick succession, particularly given Vingegaard's serious crash at the 2024 Tour of the Basque Country and the careful management of his body since. But Voigt dismisses such concerns: "Jonas is fully recovered, he is racing without any limitations, and he has the deepest team in the sport behind him. If anyone can do it, he can."
The confirmed Giro startlist pits Vingegaard against Joao Almeida, who has committed to a Giro-Vuelta double of his own, as well as emerging talents like Antonio Pellizzari and a resurgent Richard Carapaz. It is a loaded field — but if Voigt is right, it is also the perfect proving ground for Vingegaard's Tour de France ambitions.