At the finish line in Andalo the Dane shows a special medallion made by his children: “I take it with me in the Grand Tours when I feel I can win”
A day full of twists, attacks and continuous reversals ignited the Cassano d’Adda-Andalo stage of the 2026 Giro, which ended with the success of the Dane Michael Valgren. At the finish line, in addition to the victory, what struck fans and enthusiasts was also the curious gesture of the EF Education-EasyPost runner, who celebrated the success by showing a small lucky charm inspired by the world of Pokémon.
the meaning
—
After arriving, Valgren explained the meaning of the object shown on live television: a small medallion made with beads by his children. “My children are very passionate about Pokémon,” said the Danish runner. “It’s a kind of Pokémon made with beads. They chose green, which is my favorite color, with some pink dots that recall the color of our jersey. It’s a kind of lucky Pokémon charm that I take with me when I think I have a chance of winning a stage, but only in the Grand Tours.” Valgren then revealed that that little talisman has been with him since last season: “They made it for me last year at the Tour. On that occasion I wasn’t able to celebrate a victory and therefore I didn’t use it many times. Today I brought it with me… and it worked.”
