In his prime, Alessandro De Marchi would have been a perfect fit for attacking UAE and Pogacar
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 GoogleIt had been in the air for several years, but Alessandro De Marchi just missed reaching 40 years as a professional cyclist. The Italian turned 39 in May of this year and decided during the season that it would be his last. A quiet farewell? Certainly not. Because with De Marchi, we are saying goodbye to a rider who, in 2025, we rarely see in the peloton.
ADVERTISEMENT
De Marchi was born on May 19, 1986, in San Daniele del Friuli, and joined the pro continental Androni Giocattoli team as a trainee in 2010, after successful years as a track cyclist in the team pursuit. Androni was already known for its large pool of (mainly Italian) talent, such as Egan Bernal, who would break through years later with the team of the now deceased Gianni Savio.
When De Marchi signed his first professional contract in 2011, Isaac Del Toro was 6 years old. This shows how long the Italian competed at the highest level, with his heyday at BMC. He rode for that team—succeeded by CCC in 2019—for a total of six seasons. He achieved this because, after two seasons with Androni, he switched to Cannondale.
Continue reading below the video
De Marchi emerges as an incredible stage winner
De Marchi claimed his first professional victory with the Italian WorldTour team, which was clearly recognizable in the peloton by its green jerseys. In 2013, he was the best in the eighth and final stage of the Critérium du Dauphiné. He stayed ahead of Chris Froome in a tough mountain stage, finishing half a minute ahead at the finish line.
This marked the start of a remarkable career, because from that year on, we saw De Marchi almost every year with super legs on the highest podium. In 2014 and 2015, he won a stage in the Vuelta a España, both times from the breakaway and both times in a tough mountain stage. In 2015, he did so in the colors of BMC, making the same switch from Cannondale as his good friend Damiano Caruso.
Continue reading below the video
What if De Marchi had had his heyday in this era?
In fact, De Marchi joined BMC when the team's heyday was already in decline. Cadel Evans left after 2015, and although men like Caruso, Tejay van Garderen, and Richie Porte still showed some promising results, they were no longer in contention for overall victory in the Grand Tours. That was fine for De Marchi, who was able to combine a role as a domestique with his great love: the breakaway.
The cunning Italian always chose his days carefully, and when he was in the breakaway, it was almost always in a leading group that made it to the finish. He had an eye for it, just like guys like Jay Vine, Marc Soler, and, in the recent Vuelta, Juan Ayuso. In his heyday, De Marchi also had the surplus of such men, and in 2025 would have been a perfect fit for a team like UAE Emirates-XRG: attacking nicely, with a bit of support here and there for someone like Tadej Pogacar.
Continue reading below the photo
De Marchi takes the pink jersey in the Giro d'Italia
However, that's not how it turned out, even though De Marchi always chose teams that gave him room to attack. After his time at BMC and CCC, he moved to Israel-Premier Tech, and after two seasons, he rode for Jayco AlUla for another three seasons. And not without success: after winning a Vuelta stage and the Giro dell'Emilia in 2018, Israel won the Tre Valli Varesine in 2021.
In 2024, De Marchi triumphed again in the Tour of the Alps, in his characteristic way: sitting in, consolidating, riding away, and ultimately leaving his fellow escapees in the dust. He won a total of seven times in his career, including four WorldTour victories. He rode a total of 19 Grand Tours, finishing no fewer than 17 of them. De Marchi did not crash often; he was a true rider.
As an Italian, however, his most significant moment may have come in the 2021 Giro. He was in the breakaway on day 5 and finished second in the stage. However, he rose to first place in the general classification, earning him the pink jersey. He wore that jersey for two days. In the Veneto Classic on October 19, he said goodbye as a professional, as a rider of a dying breed. Grazie mille, Alessandro!
Read also
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
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
Track World Championships day 2: A golden day for Team GB, Levreysen goes 2 for 2, and Kopecky eliminates the competition
Rumours, speculation and guesswork: 2027 Tour de France route will be revealed live on October 22 in Paris
Latest Cycling News
Vote for the best mens rider of the 2026 cycling season: Pogačar, Pidcock, Vingegaard, McNulty, and more
Vanthourenhout guiltily admits wrongdoing after confrontation with Scot Cameron Mason: 'That's a closed chapter'
Bahrain Victorious issues stern warning to underperforming Tiberi ahead of final year of contract: 'That wasn’t the best choice'
Cameron Mason brushes off Vanthourenhout's angry abuse : 'A taste of his own medicine'
'I'm in pain- I'm dying': The horror story of medical mistreatment in Oman hospital from recovering Cofidis rider
Popular Cycling News
Which former pro has run the fastest marathon: Tom Dumoulin versus Lance Armstrong, Adam Yates and more
99 steps await the European Cyclocross Championship competitors: 'There’s no hill quite like it'
Cameron Mason brushes off Vanthourenhout's angry abuse : 'A taste of his own medicine'
Video shows Vanthourenhout lashing out at Brit Cameron Mason after mistake costs him the win at Middelkerke
'I'm in pain- I'm dying': The horror story of medical mistreatment in Oman hospital from recovering Cofidis rider
Latest Comments
- I’m still learning the calendar: is cyclocross mainly preparation for the spring classics, or does he race it as a separate goal as well? I’d love to see him back in the mud.jeremya04-11-2026
- The article makes it sound as if Roubaix is the only classic where he has a realistic shot. He’s been close in Flanders too, and one good tactical day can change everything.jennifer1904-11-2026
- Milan-Sanremo and Roubaix is a pretty special pair of Monuments. Any clues yet on which cyclocross races he’ll target?andrewf04-11-2026
- He’s right to be realistic about Flanders with Pogačar and Evenepoel around, but you can’t count Van Aert out on those roads. If he gets the right opportunity, he has the engine and experience to take it.davidm04-11-2026
- That Roubaix win felt like such a release after all the near-misses. Brilliant to hear that joy outweighed relief for Wout.patriciaw04-11-2026
- Why would a mountain time trial be different from a normal one? Is it just that the riders have to climb the whole course?samanthak03-11-2026
- I don’t quite buy the “fear of failure” argument. Riders can race the Giro and still have confidence in July; it comes down to recovery and planning, doesn’t it?patriciaw03-11-2026
- The Giro-Tour double is a massive ask, even for the very best. Pogačar made it look almost routine in 2024, but that’s hardly a sensible benchmark for everyone else!pedalpowe2903-11-2026
- Bakelants makes a fair point: if the 2027 Tour really suits Remco, he can’t afford to dilute the build-up. That 37km flat TT will be tempting, mind.julien03-11-2026
- Mont Blanc sounds like a spectacular finish, though four climbs on the final day might be a bit much after eight hard stages. Hope the route details are clear soon.raceready703-11-2026