Michael Valgren roared in delight as he crossed the finish line in Andalo, clutching his son's Pokémon chip, to win the 17th stage of the Giro d'Italia. The Danish rider timed his attack perfectly, pulling away from a small group with just a kilometer remaining on the undulating 202km route from Cassano d'Adda. Riders endured punishing heat and sudden downpours throughout the stage.
First Grand Tour Victory
The 34-year-old EF Education-EasyPost rider secured his second stage win of the season, following his earlier success at Tirreno-Adriatico. However, Wednesday's triumph marked his first stage victory in a Grand Tour. Valgren explained that his son had given him the lucky charm—a Pokémon chip featuring his team's colors—to carry during the race.
Valgren was part of a large group that broke away on the final categorized Andalo-Lever climb. Initially, he appeared to be contesting the stage honors with Einer Rubio before both were caught. "When I have good legs, I'm pretty good at it," Valgren said. "This was missing from my résumé. I think I deserved this. My career has been pretty good, but I needed this Grand Tour stage win."
Vingegaard Maintains Lead
Jonas Vingegaard, riding in the pink jersey, enjoyed a relatively serene day with the peloton, retaining control of the general classification. The Danish rider, who is aiming for a Giro-Tour de France double this year, holds a four-minute advantage over Felix Gall. Jhonatan Narváez won the intermediate sprint and claimed the points jersey from France's Paul Magnier, who now trails by 10 points.
Thursday's stage will feature a hilly 171km ride from Fai della Paganella to Pieve di Soligo, where Vingegaard is expected to maintain his lead at the top of the overall standings.
