Danish rider Michael Valgren won the 17th stage of the Giro d'Italia on Wednesday as Jonas Vingegaard continued his march to a first overall victory on the Grand Tour.
Valgren took the honours in Andalo after attacking from a small group with a kilometre remaining of the undulating 202km ride from Cassano d'Adda in which riders suffered both from punishing heat and also sudden downpours.
The 34-year-old EF Education–EasyPost rider claimed his second win of the season, with his other also coming in Italy at the Tirreno-Adriatico.
🔻Tactically perfect. An attack under the Flamme Rouge, and Michael Valgren flew towards his first ever #GirodItalia win.
— Giro d'Italia (@giroditalia) May 27, 2026
🔻Tatticamente perfetto. Un attacco sotto la Flamme Rouge, e Michael Valgren si invola verso la prima vittoria in carriera al #GirodItalia.
⏪ The… pic.twitter.com/B2y8Cqf9aK
Valgren was part of a group which pulled away from the break on the final categorised Andalo-Lever climb.
Initially he looked to be contesting the stage honours with Einer Rubio before the pair were caught by a handful of other riders in the concluding kilometres.
"I thought I'd be beaten on the sprint so I attacked. I was really tired and I was lucky that the stage wasn't 500 metres longer," said Valgren.
"I'd never won a Grand Tour stage before and I'm happy that I did it in Italy where I've had a lot of my success."
Valgren's success is something of a miracle as he has come back from a horror crash during the 2022 Route d'Occitanie when he fell into a ravine, fracturing his pelvis.
His countryman Vingegaard, who is hunting a Giro-Tour de France double this year, stays four minutes ahead of Felix Gall in the overall standings after rolling home with the peloton.
Jhonatan Narvaez won the intermediate sprint and took the points jersey from France's Paul Magnier, who wasn't part of the break and now trails the UAE rider by 12 points.
Vingegaard is likely to maintain his advantage at the top of the general classification on Thursday when the peloton takes on a hilly 171km ride between Fai delle Paganella and Piege di Soligo.
STAGE 17 RESULTS
1. Michael Valgren (DEN) EF Education - EasyPost 4:41:33
2. Andreas Leknessund (NOR) Uno-X Mobility +3
3. Damiano Caruso (ITA) Bahrain Victorious +6
4. Aleksandr Vlasov () Red Bull - BORA - "
hansgrohe
5. Einer Rubio (COL) Movistar Team "
6. Igor Arrieta (ESP) UAE Team Emirates - XRG +14
7. Gianmarco Garofoli (ITA) Soudal Quick-Step +52
8. David De La Cruz (ESP) Pinarello - Q36.5 Pro +1:08
Cycling Team
9. Jhonatan Narváez (ECU) UAE Team Emirates - XRG +1:44
10. Mark Donovan (GBR) Pinarello - Q36.5 Pro "
Cycling Team
GENERAL CLASSIFICATION
1. Jonas Vingegaard (DEN) Team Visma - Lease a Bike 66:57:14
2. Felix Gall (AUT) Decathlon CMA CGM Team +4:03
3. Thymen Arensman (NED) Netcompany INEOS +4:27
4. Jai Hindley (AUS) Red Bull - BORA - +5:00
hansgrohe
5. Afonso Eulálio (POR) Bahrain Victorious +5:40
6. Derek Gee-West (CAN) Lidl - Trek +7:09
7. Michael Storer (AUS) Tudor Pro Cycling Team +7:14
8. Davide Piganzoli (ITA) Team Visma - Lease a Bike +7:57
9. Damiano Caruso (ITA) Bahrain Victorious +8:34
10. Ben O'Connor (AUS) Team Jayco AlUla +9:20