Pellizzari is looking forward to the Giro's first mountain test: 'It's absolutely an advantage for me'

Most of the general classification contenders came through the Bulgarian opening weekend in good shape. Top favourite Jonas Vingegaard had already put his rivals on notice in stage two, but Giulio Pellizzari was one of the very few riders who could follow. How is the young Italian feeling about the first week on home roads, and the first real mountain test that comes with it?

It was a tricky little climb, there in the finale of Saturday's second stage. Visma | Lease a Bike raised the tempo and it was team leader Vingegaard who ultimately got out of the saddle and went. Only Pellizzari and Lennert Van Eetvelt could match him — a reassuring sign for both riders ahead of the weeks to come.

The young Italian at Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe — widely tipped as the man most likely to challenge Vingegaard for the overall title — is in excellent spirits. "I feel really good. My legs are ready. Vingegaard is very fast, but I'm happy that I stayed close to him and held my own," he told La Gazzetta dello Sport.

The obvious question, of course, is whether Vingegaard can actually be beaten. "Nobody is unbeatable," Pellizzari answered without hesitation. Friday's stage 7 finish on Blockhaus will give us the first real update on where the GC battle stands. It is the Giro's opening mountain test — and it promises to be anything but straightforward.

At over 240 kilometres, it is a very long stage. "That actually suits me perfectly," Pellizzari said, looking ahead. "I get stronger as the kilometres pile up, and the fact that such a long climb comes after five or six hours of racing is absolutely an advantage for me."

Who knows what he might be able to do in the general classification on that climb — and where that could lead. Does Pellizzari actually feel he can win a Grand Tour? "I'm not someone who makes rigid plans. I go on feel. I just have to do things the right way, and then time will tell where I end up."

"Right now, nobody can know whether I'm going to win a Grand Tour or not," the Red Bull rider continued. "And I don't know when I'll be ready for it — whether it happens this year, next year, or in five years' time. I'll certainly do everything I can to make it happen, for myself and for Italy. But the only thing that matters now is living in the present and figuring out each day what I'm capable of."

In that process, he may well get help from Jai Hindley, who was designated by the team as co-leader going into this race. "As a cyclist, we all know how strong he is. But for me, the person is what matters most. We're good friends and teammates — even though there are seven years between us. We have a lot of fun together and that really makes a difference. He's a special person," Pellizzari said in warm conclusion.