Why 'menacing' Jonas Vingegaard's honest interview will 'strike fear into everybody' at Giro d'Italia before Stage 14 - 'A chosen day'

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Maglia rosa favourite Jonas Vingegaard has warned his general classification rivals that Saturday’s gruelling Stage 14 is a ”chosen day” where he hopes to ”make damage”.

Vingegaard targets ‘big damage’ on Stage 14 at Giro – ‘A chosen day’

Video credit: TNT Sports

The two-time Tour de France champion has won two stages at the 2026 Giro d’Italia, but is yet to wear pink, with Afonso Eulalio (Bahrain Victorious) still holding the leader's jersey going into the second weekend.

Vingegaard revealed before Stage 13 on Friday – won by Italian Alberto Bettiol from the breakaway – that he had been suffering with illness this week but now feels fully recovered.

His words in a post-race interview with Eurosport might send a shiver down the spine of his GC rivals before a huge day in the mountains featuring five categorised climbs, including three Cat 1 climbs.

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”To be honest, I’ve looked forward to it a lot. Since I saw the parcours of the Giro, I saw that it is one of the hardest ones,” Vingegaard said.

”It’s not too long, but in the end, you can make damage tomorrow, I think.”

Asked if it is a marked stage for team Visma-Lease a Bike, Vingegaard said: ”Yeah, we did already before the Giro. At the start of the Giro we need to choose our days and tomorrow is a chosen day.”

'That should strike fear into everybody'

The Breakaway team of Adam Blythe and Matt Stephens were surprised and delighted by Vingegaard's honesty about his Stage 14 ambitions.

The Dane will begin the day 33 seconds behind pink jersey holder Afonso Eulalio but they questioned whether this could be the moment he seizes control of the Grand Tour.

Blythe said: "A day to mark and to get a stage win. To take a lot of time and really open that race up.

"That will be the worry – does Jonas want to take as much time as possible tomorrow, or is he just going for the stage win? Or both? It might go hand in hand.

"But if he’s saying that, you can expect fireworks tomorrow."

Why Vingegaard warning will 'strike fear into everybody' ahead of gruelling mountain stage

Video credit: TNT Sports

Stephens believes he has never heard the guarded Vingegaard speak in such "emphatic, unambiguous" terms before.

"Quite often from the top contenders, they are not exactly glib but they play their cards close to the chest – we’ll see how it goes, see what the other teams do," Stephens said.

"That was the most emphatic, unambiguous statement that I’ve heard Jonas Vingegaard say, ever.

"He doesn’t give a lot. He’s a lovely lad, so relaxed. ‘This is the chosen day’ – that should strike fear into everybody."

He added: "For him to say that in such a calm, almost menacing way. I love it.”