Slipping into the top 10 in the Giro: Meet Markel Beloki, son of Joseba

Markel Beloki is quietly making waves in the shadow of the big general classification contenders at the Giro d’Italia. The 20-year-old Spaniard rode into the top ten during Wednesday’s time trial and has so far proven to be a steady presence among the GC riders. But who exactly is this Giro revelation?

The Beloki name will ring a bell for many cycling fans. The 20-year-old EF Education-EasyPost rider is the son of the successful Joseba Beloki. The now 52-year-old former pro competed in the era of Lance Armstrong and reached the Tour de France podium three times, but he is perhaps most famous for his dramatic crash in 2003, which forced Armstrong off the road and onto the grass.

On July 27, 2005, Joseba welcomed a son, Markel, who now has some big shoes to fill. Despite his young age, Beloki is already in his third professional season in the WorldTour. EF Education recognized his potential at just 18 years old, particularly noting his climbing ability and surprisingly strong time-trial skills.

As a neo-pro, Beloki finished second in the Spanish time trial championship, ahead of top riders like Iván Romeo. It’s no surprise, then, that the long time trial helped him climb into a provisional top-ten spot in the Giro. But his early career hasn’t been without setbacks. In 2025, he was forced to abandon his home race, the Tour of the Basque Country, due to Pfeiffer’s disease.

Beloki was determined to race but was sidelined by the illness, which threatened to derail his promising second pro season. Recovery came faster than expected, however. He bounced back to win the Tour Alsace with the development team and earned a call-up to the Vuelta a España, where he impressively finished twice in the top ten during his first Grand Tour appearance.

Beloki’s rise has been quiet but steady. He is a huge fan of Alberto Contador. "They have been role models and will always remain so. I hope I can follow in their footsteps a little," he said. Beyond the Spanish GC star, Beloki also admires a very different type of rider: Wout van Aert.

"As a rider, he’s very different from me, but he has so much charisma," says Beloki, who does not aspire to classics racing. "I have a decent engine, but it has never really interested me. Of course, you never know what might happen in a few years." For now, the young Spaniard is focused on stage races.

After his first Grand Tour, Beloki doubted whether he was suited for GC racing. That uncertainty ended during the Giro, he told AS. "This Giro has made me increasingly confident that I can do it," he said. After ten days, he is only 2 minutes 20 seconds off the podium.

Beloki is careful not to get ahead of himself. "I just want to keep going as well as I can and finish the race. Then we’ll see where I end up." A top-ten finish would already be an impressive result for the 20-year-old climber. The Giro is still long, so the coming weeks will show just what this Basque rider is capable of.