All the more so now that the race leader has shaved off his mustache (not particularly thick), it really becomes difficult to look at the Vikings of the Giro with fear, as if they were a conquering horde. In practice, however, the Danes have developed a taste for it, because, as Corsera headlines, "With Jonas in pink, his friend Val-gren celebrates: «In our country everyone rides bikes as children»". Yes, the experienced EF rider also knew the ropes, not cycling (a passion induced by summer vacations in campers on French climbs), of the fish market. Ciro Scognamiglio recalls this in his portrait of Vingegaard in La Gazzetta, where there is also a full page interview with Bettiol, with an eloquent headline: «The last romantic».

If for the journey through Italian cycling Repubblica relies on an optimistic guide like Ivan Basso ("From this Giro the Italian names of the future for stage races"), comforted by the excellent performance of his Polti VisitMalta riders, Pier Augusto Stagi in Il Giornale returns to Valgren, recalling in a joking tone ("Like a salmon swimming upstream, he doesn't fear ending up like a dried cod") the hardships following the terrible accident that seemed to end his career. Across the Alps, while the countdown begins for the Champions League final with PSG, there is always appropriate space dedicated to the Giro. L'Equipe, on its video channel, even produces a documentary on Paul Magnier, but the visual appeal today is that of Valgren's Pokéball. O tempora, o mores.

GAZZETTA DELLO SPORT
THE LEGEND OF THE FISHERMAN KING
JONAS'S BEGINNINGS, MARKET AT DAWN AND IN A CAMPER AT THE TOUR
In that great blender that is ultimately a three-week stage race, yesterday Jonas Vingegaard had a few moments to reflect on when he was a teenager who hadn't yet started pedaling seriously for too long: "Of course I had big dreams," he recounted. "But with what I've already achieved, and what I'm accomplishing these days... I'm going even beyond, I wouldn't have imagined it. The old Jonas, looking back, would be proud of the Jonas of now". (Ciro Scognamiglio)

CORRIERE DELLA SERA
DANISH POWER HAS TAKEN OVER THE GIRO
THE LONG WAVE OF THE VINGEGAARD EFFECT
Maltodextrins, polymeric gels, fast-acting carbohydrates for once have nothing to do with it: the strength to deliver the deadly acceleration with which Danish Michael Valgren conquered yesterday's 17th stage of the Giro d'Italia after five years of fasting and pain is the fruit of energy stored by Pokémon creatures contained in the green Pokésphere displayed at the finish line, a precious gift from his son. When Vingegaard wins he shows photos of his children, Michael pulled out of his pocket the amulet carried for 200 kilometers: when you believe in it, everything helps. (Marco Bonarrigo)

REPUBBLICA
BASSO: "FROM THIS GIRO THE ITALIAN NAMES OF THE FUTURE FOR STAGE RACES"
In the Giro standings, there are now two Italians in the top 10. Thanks to the breakaway and Andalo's 3rd place in the stage won by Dane Valgren, Damiano Caruso moved up to 9th place behind Davide Piganzoli. An old man (38 years old) and an almost child (23), plus the daily victories of Ballerini, Ganna and Bettiol: this is all the Italy pedaling in pink. But there are other satisfactions, more immaterial, such as pride and the ability to be protagonists: this is the case of Polti Visit Malta, which yesterday also placed two men, Bais and Tonelli, in the successful breakaway. (Cosimo Cito)

IL GIORNALE
A "DANISH" GIRO. GLORY FOR VALGREN, THE HARD-WORKING PEDALER
The Giro continues to speak Danish: after Vingegaard comes Valgren. From a Grand Tour star to a hard-working pedaler who takes home for the first time in his career a stage victory in a Grand Tour.
A career victory for the 34-year-old EF rider, who after a series of excellent results (an Amstel, two Tours of Denmark, stages at Tirreno and more), four years ago seriously risked giving it all up. Victim of a terrible crash during a race, he broke his pelvis, hip and knee all at once. His career was at risk, but Valgren didn't give up and returned to racing. Like a salmon swimming upstream, he doesn't fear ending up like a dried cod. This year, five years later, he returns to success at Tirreno-Adriatico and now also on the pink roads of Andalo, with the blessing of his great friend Vingegaard: «He's a good guy, he deserves it», assures the pink jersey. (Pier Augusto Stagi)

L'EQUIPE
VALGREN, POKÉBALL FOR A VICTORY
Before leaving Denmark to participate in the Giro d'Italia, Michael Valgren (34 years old) received a gift from his son: a Pokéball, the small sphere from the Pokémon video game used to capture rare creatures, which he displayed at the finish line. "Last year I already had great hopes of winning a stage at the Tour de France, so this time my son, who loves Pokémon, gave me a Pokéball with our team's colors. It's a kind of good luck charm," explained the EF EducationEasyPost rider yesterday, adding that in return he will receive something even more special: a victory at the Giro. (Thomas Perotto)

TUTTOSPORT
VALGREN, LIGHT BEYOND PAIN
Resilience. One of the most used, and therefore overused, words of our time. According to the dictionary: "the ability to cope positively with traumatic events or difficulties, drawing strength from adversity". Well, overused or not, this is the label sewn onto Michael Valgren's victory on the roads of the Giro d'Italia. The first in a Grand Tour, at thirty-four years old. But, above all, four years after the disastrous crash at the Route d'Occitanie. In the career and life of the Dane there is a before and an after. (Daniele Galosso)

CORRIERE DELLO SPORT
DANISH AMULET
A special good luck charm in the pocket of his jersey to win his first stage at the Giro d'Italia. Crossing the finish line in Andalo, Michael Valgren pulled out a sphere-shaped amulet, namely the container in which the Pokémon are contained with which his son plays, and showed it to the sky after clenching it between his teeth. He had been waiting to do it since last July, when his son had given it to him on the occasion of the Tour de France, but he hadn't been able to use it because the Grande Boucle hadn't gone according to plan. Yesterday, however, less than a kilometer from the finish he seized the right moment and freed himself from Andreas Leknessund (2nd) and Damiano Caruso (3rd) to fly off alone and vent all his emotions, first with a cry of joy and then bursting into tears just after crossing the finish line. (Alberto Dolfin)