Vincenzo Nibali expects more from Jonas Vingegaard, hopes for one big stage spectacle

Vincenzo Nibali expressed his admiration for Jonas Vingegaard in La Gazzetta dello Sport. The Italian says he is 'crazy about' the Danish team leader of Team Visma | Lease a Bike. However, the two-time Giro winner is also somewhat critical of Vingegaard: "I expect much more from him."

According to Nibali, it would be a big surprise if Vingegaard is not crowned the winner of the Giro in Rome in a week and a half. At the same time, he remains cautious. "The story of this Giro is yet to be written. The truly decisive days are just beginning."

"The weather makes the Giro so unpredictable. You already saw how crucial it was in the first stages in Italy and how many riders fell ill afterward. The cold and bad weather simply drain a rider’s energy. If you catch a virus and your team isn’t performing at top level and then you have to cover two hundred kilometers through the mountains..."

Vingegaard performance
In the coming stages, Nibali hopes Vingegaard will put on a show, but the Italian is concerned. "He hasn’t delivered a blow yet that really locks down the Giro. I think that’s likely to remain the case. I would like to see him put in a true Vingegaard performance before the Giro ends."

"That he delivers a big, long spectacle in a single stage. I know he is also expected in the Tour, so it makes sense that he chooses to win a bit every day, but I’m hoping for something different," he concludes.