Did 6.9 w/kg Pellizzari sacrifice a stunning Giro GC ride by staying with Roglic? “I had super legs”
Cycling
Follow IDL Pro Cycling on Google
Stay up to date with the best cycling news by making us a preferred source on Google.
Follow us on GoogleThat Giulio Pellizzari has been riding this Giro d’Italia with serious legs has been clear for a while, especially in his role supporting Primoz Roglic. On stage 9 over the Tuscan gravel, he even briefly saved Roglic’s GC hopes. But when Roglic abandoned on Tuesday during stage 16, and after plan B Jai Hindley had already left the race, Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe shifted its focus to plan C: Pellizzari. The 21-year-old Italian has since jumped from 18th to 7th in the GC over just two mountain stages. The question now is: what more does he have left in the tank?
ADVERTISEMENT
Pellizzari had good legs throughout the Giro. “I put out the best numbers of my life over an hour and a half, my legs were really good,” he said with a grin after his monster effort on stage 9 to Siena. At that point, all focus was still on Roglic, who was aiming to win the Giro for Red Bull. Pellizzari, who initially wasn’t even on the Giro start list, emerged as a high-level domestique. “We believe Primoz can still win. The toughest part of the Giro is still ahead of us.”
That belief didn’t hold. Roglic crashed again on stages 10, 14 and 16, and the final fall proved one too many. Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe CEO Ralph Denk wasted no time and immediately spotlighted rising star Pellizzari. “It’s great to see, but also proof of how we operate as a team. We’ve helped him grow, with the right strategy and environment. The takeaway is that if everyone stays on their bike, you can be as good as Giulio is showing us now.”
Read more below the photo.
Giulio Pellizzari
Pellizzari soars into the top ten in Giro’s final week
Denk was referring to Pellizzari’s brilliant attack on the final climb—the San Valentino—of stage 16. The Italian, who finished second in a third-week mountain stage for Bardiani last year, even managed to drop a surging Richard Carapaz (EF) while averaging a staggering 6.9 watts per kilogram. He gained minutes on several GC contenders and jumped from 18th to 9th overall. Speaking to In de Leiderstrui ahead of stage 17, he said: “Win a stage or go for GC? Why not both?”
“It was tough to see Primoz go home, because I really enjoyed working for him and we were looking forward to the third week,” he added. “Now I’m just going to race without pressure and see where I end up in Rome.” After finishing in the first chasing group behind stage winner Isaac Del Toro and closest rival Carapaz, Pellizzari moved up from 9th to 7th on Wednesday. “It went well. I had good legs and the team supported me perfectly, so I have to thank them. We’ll keep fighting.”
Read more below the photo.
Pellizzari held back with strong legs
At Red Bull, they’re still trying to manage expectations. The German team knows a top-five finish is within reach, but sports director Christian Pömer is focused on stage wins first. “We saw on Tuesday that Giulio is in great shape, and we wanted to build on that. Our plan was to go for the stage and get as many guys up front as possible. In the end, Daniel Felipe Martínez was in the mix from the break, though we didn’t quite get the result we were after.”
“We’ll keep going for stages and supporting Giulio,” Pömer concluded. That message will be music to Pellizzari’s ears. Ever since Roglic crashed on stage 9, the young Italian has often found himself holding back despite having great legs. “On Sunday to Asiago (stage 15), for example, I felt amazing, so it was tough not being able to stay with the best. But I wanted to stay with Primoz and be there for him. Let’s see what I can do now. The team believes in me, and I’m happy to be here.”
Bram van der Ploeg (Twitter: @BvdPloegg | email: [email protected])
Bram van der PloegEditor-in-chief
Bram van der Ploeg (35) is the proud founder of In de Leiderstrui, IDL Pro Cycling's parent site, launched in 2018. Finally, he could create stories about the sport he had followed since childhood. He is the editor-in-chief on paper, but prefers to be with his recorder next to a rider, a team bus, or in the mud at a cyclocross race. Every year, from February to the end of May, Bram follows the entire Italian cycling season, from the Trofeo Laigueglia to the Giro d'Italia, with the grand finale in October in Lombardy. During that time, he lives in Tuscany, where he has since come to call Italy his 'home'.
IDL-productions
Celia Gery won the European cyclocross championship while awaiting surgery: 'It'll be a new beginning'
Dutch team coach De Knegt annoyed by European Cyclocross Championships dispute: "A bit of a let down"
Glasgow set to shine as World Cup demand outstrips expectations and Mason eyes first home cyclocross race
Pogačar, Vingegaard and Van Aert went faster again in 2026... except when they didn't
Team GB dominate, China on the rise, Lavreysen the best ever? Five takeaways from the 2026 Track World Championships
Latest Cycling News
🎥 Lucinda Brand pulls out of the Niel cyclocross race in tears after just a few minutes
Tadej Pogačar reveals his insane training data in new HBO film: 'I think that's what works best'
Britain's Cameron Mason takes his first top-level cyclocross win after rain causes havoc in Niel
Mads Pedersen weighs in on Lucinda Brand and Marie Schreiber's European Cyclocross Championship clash
Sven Nys gave an update on Lucina Brand's injury: 'Difficult if you can't generate power'
Popular Cycling News
Cycling transfers 2026/2027 | Cycling transfer market still in full swing in November
Tadej Pogačar reveals his insane training data in new HBO film: 'I think that's what works best'
🎥 Lucinda Brand pulls out of the Niel cyclocross race in tears after just a few minutes
Fears of serious injury to Alvarado, bronze medalist, after the European Cyclocross Championships
Picnic PostNL's WorldTour uncertainty has five rival teams, and Tom Pidcock, watching the UCI closely
Latest Comments
- If he finished ninth at the Tour, why didn’t he get a stage win too? I’m still trying to understand how the overall standings work.julien11-11-2026
- No ‘cross at all this winter? That’s a shame, but with his road season starting in February, I can see why he’d want a proper break. Does stepping away mean he’s done with cyclocross for good?gearguru3311-11-2026
- I like the honesty of that training post. Even the best riders feel the difference after a few weeks off, and he’s got plenty of time to build back up.samanthak11-11-2026
- Three sets of tyres in two days at the Nürburgring! The man clearly doesn’t do anything by halves. Bet a winter without cyclocross will feel strange, though.bikebuffj11-11-2026
- Fifth in the world rankings after that autumn run is some achievement. Pidcock was so aggressive at the Tour, too—hopefully he can turn a few of those near-misses into wins inpatriciaw11-11-2026
- Does XEFI’s investment mean the team will have more money to sign riders, or is it mainly a sponsorship and naming change? And is Roglič expected to race much next season?jeremya11-11-2026
- If the roster is nearly complete, why bring up Roglič at all? Feels like the article is turning a firm “no” into a transfer rumour.andrewf11-11-2026
- Wuling is no joke—105 km of climbing to 3,275 metres is brutal. Five minutes off Dyball’s record is still an incredible ride.velodromevirtuoso111-11-2026
- Roglič at TotalEnergies would be a fascinating move, but Heulot sounds pretty clear that it isn’t happening. His experience could be a massive boost for the younger riders, though.jennifer1911-11-2026
- Eight riders told to go for stages, and nobody gets one—hard to know what the plan was there. It’ll be interesting to see whether they pick a clear leader next time.bikebuffj10-11-2026