Jonas Vingegaard has studied the Giro d'Italia and already knows everything about the route. The Blockhaus, the 40 km time trial from Viareggio to Massa, the key stage in Alleghe with Giau and Falzarego, the double climb to Piancavallo before the final parade in Rome. He is ready for his debut in the 109th edition of the pink race on May 8th in Bulgaria: the Visma-Lease a Bike Danish rider will announce it on Tuesday, January 13th during the Spanish retreat in Calpe. An agreement has been reached with RCS Sport organizers, and as happened with other champions like Froome, Evenepoel, or Pogacar, it's likely that the news will be previewed on social media by the Dutch team and RCS Sport jointly, possibly accompanied by a video from Jonas, before the Calpe press conference.

Thus, two years after Tadej Pogacar's exploit (total domination: six stages and triumph at the Imperial Forums in Rome), Italy will be able to admire the Danish champion of Visma-Lease a Bike, the only one capable of beating the Slovenian twice at the Tour de France (2022 and 2023). Italy had previously seen him win at the Settimana Coppi e Bartali practically unknown: it was 2021, Vingegaard won stages in Sogliano al Rubicone and San Marino, and celebrated his overall classification victory on the Forlì podium.

But... there is a but in this festive atmosphere. And it's the shocking announcement by Simon Yates who retired last Wednesday with immediate effect, two weeks before the first WorldTour race in Australia. Yates, a month ago, was at the Giro 2026 presentation in Rome and was seen happy, serene, thinking about a new Italian campaign at the Giro, always wearing the yellow jersey of Visma-Lease a Bike and the number 1 on his back as the reigning champion. Yates, 33 years old, who lives with his wife in Andorra and is the twin of Adam (a loyal Pogacar supporter), was on a retreat in Spain with his teammates, and videos showing him reveal no concerns and enjoying the sport he loves most. And yet that bombshell, the words, the thanks to the team, the abandonment at the peak of his career.

All good? Yes, but... Could it be that Yates, upon learning of Vingegaard's intention to race the Giro, became irritated and decided to end it here? In 2025, after his pink race, he had been true to his word with the team and showed up ready for the Tour to escort Vingegaard: he had a day of freedom, coinciding with a stage win at Le Mont-Dore Puy de Sancy, and still finished fifteenth in the classification. He had certainly respected the agreements.

Simon Yates absolutely wanted that number 1 on his back, but Vingegaard's choice practically snatched it away, given the Danish rider's status. Could the British rider from Bury, near Manchester, have dug in his heels? It's possible, if there was a breach of agreements: Simon would not have wanted to give up his role to transform himself, this time at the Giro, with the pink jersey of 2025 king on his shoulders, into a luxury domestique again, at almost 34 years old. A matter of perspectives. A possible or fanciful backstory? The only fact remains that in the end, that number 1 will be Vingegaard's.