The probable victory of Jonas Vingegaard at the 2026 Giro d'Italia represents not only the triumph of one of the greatest champions of modern cycling, but also a historic page destined to remain forever etched in the memory of world sport. For the first time in history, indeed, a Danish athlete will conquer the final Maglia Rosa of the Giro d'Italia.

A success that takes on an even deeper meaning for Ivano Fanini, the historic patron of Team Fanini and founder of "Amore & Vita," a message born in the Vatican alongside Pope John Paul II and which from 1989 to 2021 became the first official name of the team ahead of any commercial sponsor.

Fanini, an authentic pioneer of international cycling, was among the first, between the late 1970s and the 1980s, to grasp the necessity of globalizing the cycling movement, at a time when professionalism was almost exclusively the domain of Italy, Belgium, France, Spain, and the Netherlands.

When it still seemed unthinkable, Fanini opened the doors of amateur and professional cycling to athletes from Sweden, Cameroon, Argentina, Australia, Venezuela, Mexico, Ecuador, Great Britain, the United States, Poland, Czechoslovakia, South Africa, and many other countries then considered peripheral to major international cycling. A revolutionary vision that at the time also provoked criticism and skepticism, but which history has since consecrated as one of the most far-sighted intuitions of modern cycling.

Among all the countries in which Ivano Fanini carried out extraordinary scouting and development work, Denmark undoubtedly holds a special place.

Thanks also to the historic relationship with his brother-in-arms Ole Ritter, former hour record holder and legend of Northern European cycling, Fanini contributed decisively to the growth of the Danish movement, discovering and launching some of the greatest talents in its history. From Rolf Sørensen, an authentic symbol of modern Danish cycling, to Bjarne Riis and Jørgen Marcussen, passing through Brian Petersen, a rider who turned professional with Amore & Vita in 1990. And it is precisely Brian Petersen who represents the direct link with Jonas Vingegaard.

Although he did not become a champion on two wheels, Petersen made the most of the teachings received from Ivano Fanini, transforming himself into one of the most brilliant talent scouts and sports directors of Nordic cycling. It was indeed Petersen himself who discovered and launched the young Jonas Vingegaard, accompanying him in the growth that would lead him to become one of the absolute dominators of world cycling, soon winner of all three Grand Tours and absolute protagonist of an era alongside Tadej Pogacar.

The work carried out by Fanini for Danish cycling was recognized and appreciated even by institutions, including the King of Denmark, a cycling enthusiast and intimate friend of Rolf Sørensen. In 2017, then Danish Prime Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen, now Foreign Minister, personally visited Lucca together with Ole Ritter to meet Ivano Fanini and pay homage to the history of Amore & Vita. Rasmussen, a cycling enthusiast and great supporter of the Fanini team, has always recognized the fundamental role played by the Lucca entrepreneur in the development of the Danish cycling movement, today considered one of the strongest and most structured in the world.

For this reason, Vingegaard's probable triumph at the Giro d'Italia — a race that, thanks to Sofidel, this year made a stop in Porcari, just a few hundred meters from the headquarters of Amore & Vita — assumes for Fanini a profoundly symbolic and emotional value.

"I had predicted it even before the start of the Giro," comments Ivano Fanini, "and today I am even more certain of it, even though in sport nothing is ever taken for granted. It is true that Jonas was the favorite, probably the strongest overall, but cycling is an extremely difficult sport where anything can happen at any moment, just a crash (like Yates), an illness (like Pellizzari), a bad day and everything changes suddenly. Despite this, I see him as a sure winner. Until today he has raced in absolute control, almost as if he were training for the Tour, managing his efforts and, with the exception of the time trial in Massa, never going off the rails. For this reason, Jonas's merit is enormous. He has managed the Giro impeccably, with performances that probably only Pogacar could have contested. He has once again demonstrated that he is an extraordinary champion, one of the greatest of his generation."

Fanini then wanted to direct a special thought to Brian Petersen: "I also congratulate Brian Petersen, my former athlete and a man I consider part of our sporting family. It was he who brought Jonas to become the man and champion that everyone knows today. This makes the connection with this result even more special for me."

Ivano Fanini offers an analysis of the current state of Italian cycling: "I am sorry not to have seen an Italian truly fighting for the general classification, although our movement is growing thanks to the great work of president Cordiano Dagnoni, manager Viviani, and the coaches and technical managers Amadio, Velo, Amadori, and my former athletes Villa and Quaranta. I still want to congratulate Ganna, Ballerini, Bettiol, but also Pellizzari, Piganzoli, Ciccone, Caruso, and many other young men who have put on a show during this Giro so far. I am also sorry for Jonathan Milan, son of my former rider Flavio, who was unable to challenge an extraordinary Paul Magnier. It certainly was not his Giro, but I am sure he will bounce back very soon."

Finally, closing with a look at the future of Italian cycling: "You must never give up. Pellizzari and Piganzoli can become absolute protagonists in the coming years. But the real phenomenon, in my opinion, is Mark Lorenzo Finn. I believe he will be one of the very few riders in the world capable of keeping pace with two giants like Pogacar and Vingegaard, along with Seixas. And I am convinced that the next Italian to win the Giro d'Italia will be him."

If Jonas Vingegaard is to be the first Dane in history to conquer the Giro d'Italia, it will ideally close a circle that began over forty years ago thanks to Ivano Fanini's international vision, one of the men who more than anyone else contributed to making cycling a truly global sport.