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Follow us on GoogleIn the Giro d'Italia, he made it into the top ten in the third week—after Primoz Roglic dropped out—but Giulio Pellizzari is right on track in the Vuelta a España. The 21-year-old Italian from Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe kept pace with the other GC contenders in stage 7 on Friday, just as he did on Thursday, and is now eighth in the GC. More importantly, he also wears the white jersey for best young rider.
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Pellizzari was already a contender for the white jersey before the Vuelta, but after Juan Ayuso (UAE Emirates-XRG) dropped out on day 6, Antonio Tiberi (Bahrain Victorious) also dropped out early in stage 7 on Friday. And so, after seven days of racing, Pellizzari is in white, with only Matthew Riccitello (Israel-Premier Tech), Raul García Pierna (Arkéa-B&B Hotels), and Junior Lecerf (Soudal-Quick Step) as realistic opponents.
Pellizzari had already indicated after stage 6 that he was aiming for the white jersey. “When I saw that Ayuso had to drop back, I thought about the jersey,” he said afterwards, wearing the youth jersey. “I don't know what happened, but I didn't expect Ayuso to drop back. Today is a very emotional day for me. I hope I can keep the white jersey for a long time,” he said hopefully. And now that Tiberi has also dropped out, that is suddenly a very realistic hope.
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Giulio Pellizzari in the white jersey
Pellizzari had a difficult start in the Vuelta mountain stage
After the seventh stage, the Italian climbing talent confessed that a scenario like Tiberi's could have happened to him too. “Today was really hard from the start, everybody was really tired after yesterday and the TTT,” said the best young rider via the organization. “In the end I was better than in the start, so it’s good. We will see tomorrow, I hope it will be a 'rest day'.”
The fact that his legs felt heavy was no cause for concern for Pellizzari. "I think and I hope that everybody [among the favorites] was tired, the climb was hard because we were tired and we still have a long way to Madrid, so we will have a lot of stages to test the legs. The [white] jersey is a plus, I want to test my leg and we will see where I can arrive. The jersey is not a goal: I came here for the stages and to help Jai [Hindley] in the mountains. Now I’m here, I just want to enjoy this Vuelta with a nice group. I want to say thanks to the team that is making a very good job, and just to enjoy."
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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'.
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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