24 years older than some of his rivals, but 'comeback kid' Pozzovivo is climbing with the best again

Paul Seixas, Isaac Del Toro, Matthew Brennan, Jarno Widar... Youth is the future of cycling. The further the sport evolves, the younger its new stars seem to become. Shining at the highest level in your twenties is now considered fairly normal — which makes the fabulous comeback of Domenico Pozzovivo all the more special.

Pozzovivo turned professional in 2005 with Ceramica Panaria–Navigare. He enjoyed a rich career, with stage wins in various races and high finishes at the Giro d'Italia. In 2023, he said farewell to the sport at Israel–Premier Tech, aged 40. A year later he made a brief return, but his retirement seemed definitive after that. But the itch never went away for the diminutive Italian.

He kept riding, and the numbers were excellent. Earlier this year, the 43-year-old climber expressed the desire to return to the peloton. But who would still want the services of a grizzled veteran who had spent more time in hospital than out of it? Solution Tech–Nippo–Rali were willing to take the gamble. After talks, he was offered a contract, and a few weeks later Pozzovivo made his return to the professional peloton at the Tour of the Alps.

"It's a tough race, and the difficulty will only increase as the week goes on," he told Tuttobiciweb ahead of the start. "For me, it will be a good test of endurance, especially as starting a race like this is certainly no easy task. Am I stronger than when I stopped? Maybe, but the whole sport has grown. We're going faster than two years ago, and I'll have to adapt to that too."

In boxing, there is a concept known as ring rust: athletes who return after a long break but can no longer find their feet in the ring and are a shadow of their former selves. Yet after a year and a half away from racing, there was no hint of any rustiness from Pozzovivo. At the first mountain rendezvous, a group of top riders — including Thymen Arensman and Giulio Pellizzari — rode clear. And who was leading the chasing group? You guessed it!

It was a wonderful sight to see Pozzovivo grinding his way uphill, Egan Bernal on his wheel, in his characteristically lopsided style. The old warrior struggled a little before the summit, but twelfth place at the finish, 19 seconds behind winner Pellizzari, is nothing short of remarkable. The comeback must be considered a success.

The Tour of the Alps has no shortage of young talent. Winner Pellizzari is only 22 himself, but top talents like Lorenzo Finn and Jakob Omrzel also rode with the best. Finn, who finished sixth, is only 19 years old — the under-23 world champion could, without exaggeration, have been Pozzovivo's son. The pair are 24 years apart. When the 43-year-old turned professional, Finn hadn't even been born yet...

Pozzovivo hasn't returned simply because he missed racing. He has a mission at his new team. "A high ranking is important for the team. A place in the top 30 would guarantee them an invitation to next year's Grand Tours," he explains. "I want to contribute my points and experience, and help the younger riders." Is Pozzovivo the saviour Solution Tech need? We'll see.