Jonas Vingegaard is now the new leader of the 2016 Giro d’Italia. The Dane put on a collective and individual masterclass in the grueling Stage 14 between Aosta and Pila, an Alpine stage of just 133 kilometers, but with more than 4,300 meters of elevation gain, in which Visma Lease a Bike shattered the race to put their leader in the pink jersey.
The first major high-mountain stage of this Giro ended up being an absolute statement of intent from Jonas Vingegaard. The Dane not only secured his third stage victory in this edition, but also completely dismantled the resistance of Afonso Eulálio, who cracked on the final climb to Pila and definitively lost the lead.
From the start, it was clear that Visma Lease a Bike had come with an aggressive strategy. The stage kicked off with the very long climb to Saint-Barthélémy, and the Dutch team controlled all significant breakaway attempts while riders like Victor Campenaerts, Tim Rex, Bart Lemmen, Sepp Kuss, and Davide Piganzoli gradually increased the pace.
A very strong breakaway formed up front, featuring riders such as Enric Mas, Einer Rubio, Giulio Ciccone, Aleksandr Vlasov, Wout Poels, and Jhonatan Narváez, but Visma’s pace never allowed the gap to grow sufficiently.
The race began to truly unravel on the final climb to Pila, a 16.5-kilometer ascent at 7.1%, where Visma’s collective effort eliminated the favorites one by one. First, Ben O’Connor cracked, then Eulálio began to suffer, and finally, the pink jersey was dropped nine kilometers from the finish.
With the Portuguese rider completely broken, Vingegaard waited for his moment. Piganzoli set a brutal pace, whittling the group down to just a few riders, and with five kilometers to go, the Dane launched his decisive attack.
Only Felix Gall tried to stay with him for a few meters, but he soon had to ease off and set his own rhythm. From then on, Vingegaard opened up a gap with devastating ease, while Jai Hindley, Thymen Arensman, Giulio Pellizzari, and Derek Gee gradually fell behind.
The Visma leader crossed the finish line solo after another impressive display in the high mountains, with enough of a margin to completely overturn the general classification. Felix Gall finished second again, confirming himself as the Dane’s strongest rival in the mountains, while Hindley and Pellizzari salvaged some time in the chasing group.
Behind them, Afonso Eulálio was completely exhausted and lost several minutes, bringing to a close one of the most surprising stories of the first half of the Giro. The Portuguese rider had held on for nine days in pink, but the high mountains ultimately made the expected difference.
The feeling now is that the Giro has definitively changed hands. Vingegaard had already shown his superiority in Blockhaus and Corno alle Scale, but in Pila he delivered his most decisive performance of the entire race. With the pink jersey in his hands and Visma dominating every tactical scenario, the Dane leaves this stage as the absolute favorite to win the 2026 Giro d’Italia.
Jhonatan Narváez, second South American to wear the ‘Ciclamino Jersey’
The Ecuadorian cyclist, Jhonatan Narváez, one of the sensations of the 2026 Giro d’Italia, became the new leader of the ‘Ciclamino Jersey’ after the fourteenth stage of the Italian tour. The South American, who now has three stage wins, leads the points classification.
The UAE Team Emirates XRG rider, who attacked in the intermediate sprint, secured the points needed to take the lead in this special classification, which Colombian Fernando Gaviria won in the Giro’s centenary edition in 2017.
Narváez has 131 points in the classification, one point more than Frenchman Paul Magnier (Soudal Quick-Step), who has 130 points and is shaping up to be his main rival for the remainder of the Italian tour.
The purple jersey, reserved for sprinters and awarded for consistency and sprinting ability, represents one of the most important accolades of the Giro d’Italia, which Gaviria earned after winning four stages in 2017.
Top 10 Stage 14 Giro de Italia 2026
1. Jonas Vingegaard (Visma | Lease a Bike)
2. Felix Gall (Decathlon CMA CGM) – a 1:46
3. Thymen Arensman (Netcompany INEOS) – a 2:53
4. Jai Hindley (Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe) – a 3:37
5. Ben O’Connor (Jayco AlUla) – a 4:02
6. Michael Storer (Tudor Pro Cycling Team) – a 4:36
7. Derek Gee (Lidl-Trek) – a 4:48
8. Giulio Pellizzari (Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe) – a 4:48
9. Chris Harper (Pinarello-Q36.5) – a 5:05
10. Davide Piganzoli (Polti VisitMalta) – a 5:12
Top 10 Ranking General
1. Jonas Vingegaard (Visma | Lease a Bike) – 56:08:41
2. Afonso Eulálio (Bahrain Victorious) – a 2:26
3. Felix Gall (Decathlon CMA CGM) – a 2:50
4. Thymen Arensman (Netcompany INEOS) – a 3:03
5. Jai Hindley (Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe) – a 3:43
6. Giulio Pellizzari (Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe) – a 4:22
7. Michael Storer (Tudor Pro Cycling Team) – a 4:46
8. Ben O’Connor (Jayco AlUla) – a 5:22
9. Derek Gee (Lidl-Trek) – a 5:41
10. Davide Piganzoli (Polti VisitMalta) – a 6:13
Maglia Ciclamino
| 1 | Jhonatan Narváez | UAE Team Emirates – XRG | 131 |
| 2 | Paul Magnier | Soudal Quick-Step | 130 |
| 3 | Jonathan Milan | Lidl – Trek | 76 |
| 4 | Jasper Stuyven | Soudal Quick-Step | 71 |
| 5 | Thomas Silva | XDS Astana Team | 70 |
| 6 | Alec Segaert | Bahrain – Victorious | 62 |
| 7 | Manuele Tarozzi | Bardiani CSF 7 Saber | 60 |
| 8 | Andreas Leknessund | Uno-X Mobility | 60 |
| 9 | Diego Sevilla | Team Polti VisitMalta | 49 |
| 10 | Orluis Aular | Movistar Team | 47 |
Source: www.brujulabike.com y Revista Mundo Ciclístico