Giulio Pellizzari has a major score to settle at the European Championships: 'I wasn't worthy of the blue jersey'

Pellizzari and Ciccone were named Italy's team leaders for the World Championships. Both climbers had undergone a long preparation period, during which they skipped the Tour de France and the Vuelta a España, hoping to be ready to compete for a medal in Montreal, Canada.

Ciccone came close, but the Italian found himself caught up in a tactical battle and ultimately finished ninth. Pellizzari watched the final on television after retiring early. That made him one of the biggest disappointments of the World Championship.

"Disappointed," Pellizzari wrote on his social media accounts. With stage wins at the Tour of Burgos and the Tour of Poland, as well as a victory in the Giro della Toscana, he seemed ready for the World Championships, but nothing could have been further from the truth. “I wasn’t at the same level as the rest of the team; I wasn’t worthy of the blue jersey.”

"Sunday brings a new opportunity," Pellizzari wrote, with a sense of redemption. That's because the European Cycling Championships are scheduled for Sunday, featuring the elite men's road race. Pellizzari and Ciccone will once again be the team leaders, on another course that should suit them well.

In addition to the leading duo, Ludovico Crescioli (Polti VisitMalta), Alessandro Fancellu (MBH Bank CSB Telecom Fort), Marco Frigo (NSN), Alessandro Pinarello (also NSN), Christian Scaroni, and Diego Ulissi (both XDS Astana) are also heading to Ljubljana, where the European Championships begin on Friday, October 2.