Saturday, October 12th will be the last time the Italian cyclist Domenico Pozzovivo will pin on his racing BIB numers. The veteran of cycling veteran will do so at his home race Il Lombardia - a race he came within 10 seconds of winning in 2011, but only finished 6th, just like six years later in 2017.
When the 22-year-old Pozzovivo turned professional in 2005 with Ceramica Panaria - Navigare, the Italian fans had huge expectations of the little climber who podiumed U23 Giro and Valle d'Aosta year earlier and finished 4th at the home U23 World Championships.
And it indeed didn't take long until Pozzo ticked off the first of his total of seven top-10 finishes at la Corsa Rosa in 2008. Final podium was often within Pozzovivo sight, but poor time trials didn't allow for more than 5th place in 2014 and 2018.
In 2019, disaster struck then 36-year-old Italian, whose elbow took a permanent damage in a training accident involving a car. This forced Pozzovivo to adapt a new bike position - one that had become rather signature for him in most recent years.
Another thing that became signature for Pozzovivo was his eternal struggle to find a new team every year. If it was up to Pozzovivo, he would probably race forever, but when VF Group - Bardiani CSF - Faizanè came to rescue with a contract offer, Pozzovivo acknowledged it would be an ideal moment to pull down the curtain on his long career - in the same team (under a different name) where it all begun 20 years ago.
On Saturday, VF Group - Bardiani CSF - Faizanè likely won't play the card of Pozzovivo but rather bet on his successor - the climbing talent Giulio Pellizzari, 2nd in a stage of Giro d'Italia at the age of 20 - whose career may become even brighter than Pozzovivo's.
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