It's called the white jersey, it reads best young rider of the Giro d'Italia. It celebrates 50 years of history, the first to conquer it was the Romagna native Alfio Vandi in 1976, but back then the jersey as we understand it today didn't exist: the winner of this classification wore a white armband. In 1977 the actual jersey made its debut, worn by Mario Beccia. The young riders' classification at the 2026 Giro is reserved for those born from January 1st, 2001, so Under 26. The daily leader is the first rider best placed in the individual general classification: whoever wears the white jersey for a day receives a prize of 750 euros, whoever wears it on the final podium in Rome will receive 10,000 euros. Last year it was won by Mexican Del Toro, second in the classification behind Simon Yates.

Who are the strong contenders to conquer it in Rome? The overwhelming favorite is Giulio Pellizzari, the 22-year-old from Marche of Red Bull-Bora who is the most accredited rival of Vingegaard for the final podium of the Giro. Then Swiss Jan Christen (Uae Emirates), 21 years old; Belgian Alec Segaert (Bahrain), 23 years old; Norwegian Tobias Lund Andresen (Decathlon), 23 years old; Belgian Lennert Van Eetvelt (Lotto-Intermarchè), 24 years old; American Magnus Sheffield (Netcompany Ineos), 24 years old; Gianmarco Garofoli from Marche (Soudal-Quick Step), 23 years old; Norwegian Johannes Staune-Mittet (Decathlon), 23 years old, who won the Giro d'Italia Next Gen 2023; French Brieuc Rolland (Groupama-Fdj), 22 years old, winner of the Piccolo Lombardia Under 23 in 2024; Valtellina native Davide Piganzoli (Visma-Lease a Bike), 23 years old, who will have to be one of Vingegaard's last mountain domestiques; Portuguese Antonio Morgado (Uae Emirates), 22 years old.

Only four have managed the final double of pink jersey-white jersey: Russian Evgeni Berzin in 1994, Colombian Nairo Quintana in 2014, Londoner Tao Geoghegan Hart in 2020 and Colombian Egan Bernal in 2021. Despite his mountain exploits in 1994, at Merano and at Aprica in the stage with the Mortirolo when he made Berzin and Indurain waver, Marco Pantani never wore it as the official leader of this special classification: at 24 years old, the Pirate always remained behind Berzin. And if we look at the data again, since 2000 only three Italians have won the white jersey: Riccardo Riccò in 2008, Fabio Aru in 2015 and Antonio Tiberi in 2024.