Davide Piganzoli has written an important chapter in his career by conquering the Route d'Occitanie with a world-class performance. The twenty-three-year-old Italian from Team Visma | Lease a Bike triumphed in the third and final stage of the race with a solo breakaway of over 35 kilometers, thus securing his second victory in a small stage race in his career (in 2024 he won the Tour of Antalya in Turkey) and his first successes wearing the colors of the Dutch team.

The decisive stage, 172 kilometers between Loures-Barousse and Loudenvielle with five categorized climbs, saw Team Visma | Lease a Bike dictate the pace from the opening slopes. After an initial breakaway of approximately eight riders was reabsorbed, on the Col de Val Louron-Azet, the penultimate climb of the day, the Dutch squad imposed a relentless pace thanks to the work of Tim Rex and Tijmen Graat, progressively reducing the group to just a few riders.

With 35 kilometers remaining to the finish, Piganzoli launched the attack that proved decisive. His advantage grew rapidly, surpassing the one-minute mark, and from that moment he managed the race with the maturity of an experienced rider, crossing the finish line first and securing both the stage victory and the overall classification.

At the end of the race, Piganzoli did not hide his satisfaction at having achieved his objective: “My real goal was to win this race. We worked very well as a team and I really enjoyed myself”.

The victory takes on particular significance for Piganzoli, coming after his excellent performance at the Giro d'Italia, where he finished in eighth place: “It's fantastic to get my first victory here for this team. My first race with the team was the Faun-Ardèche Classic, and even then I dreamed of winning one day in these colors. Our main objective was to win this stage and the overall classification, so I'm extremely satisfied to have achieved it”.

Piganzoli was keen to emphasize the importance of the support received from his teammates: “My teammates played a fundamental role in this victory. I'm very grateful to all of them. I started the season here in France with the first Ardèche classic. I discovered how the team works and I really appreciated it. It's very pleasant to be here in France with Visma and I really enjoyed myself in today's race”.

Tijmen Graat, tenth in the final overall classification, was also invaluable to the team's performance: “We had a very precise plan: to make the race demanding. Axel Zingle and Loe van Belle controlled the initial phase. In the mountains, it was up to me and Tim to maintain a high pace in the group. It's fantastic that we managed to conclude this stage race with a victory”.

Despite the excellent form demonstrated after the Giro d'Italia, it's now time for Piganzoli to take a break: “My schedule now includes the Tour of Poland and the Clásica de San Sebastián, and then perhaps some Italian races at the end of the season”, explained the Italian rider.

With this victory, Team Visma | Lease a Bike reaches 28 wins in 2026, once again confirming the strength and depth of a group capable of winning on all terrains and with different riders. For Davide Piganzoli, meanwhile, a new chapter in his career opens: that of stage race winners.