"Giulio Pellizzari really could be his number one rival" - Former Giro d'Italia winner on who can challenge Jonas Vingegaard?

The 2026 Giro d'Italia begins already next weekend and in the list of riders that can challenge Jonas Vingegaard for the overall win, only one comes up often. Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe will be backing up Giulio Pellizzari, and the Tour of the Alps winner takes the spot of favourite number two.

“Giulio Pellizzari really could be his number one rival, and the Giro d’Italia throws up surprises sometimes," former Giro d'Italia winner Gilberto Simoni told Domestique. The Italian ex-pro sees in Pellizzari the rider who can break Italy's 10-year dry streak at the Corsa Rosa - although his chances should be better in future years.

“I see that Pellizzari is more mature this year, and he has a team that believes in him. And Red Bull have a very strong team, let’s not forget". The German team should have Jai Hindley alongside Pellizzari after the two collaborated well at last year's Vuelta a España.

The lineup will be a combination of strong climbers and rouleurs; whilst the focus could change to a full GC tilt as the team's designated sprinter Danny van Poppel has been put aside from the Corsa Rosa.

Pellizzari had his breakthrough during the 2024 Giro d'Italia, flying in the final mountain stage which ascended Monte Grappa on two occasions; and almost surprising in a field where Tadej Pogacar was climbing at his very best.

In 2025 it took him no time to perfectly adapt to the new World Tour structure at Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe and to a competition of a different level. He became Primoz Roglic's right-hand man at the Volta a Catalunya and got himself selected as a key domestique for the Slovenian at the Giro. After the Slovenian's departure from the race, he immediately filled in the leadership role and was the strongest climber on the queen stage to Brentonico in the final week - climbing faster than Simon Yates, Richard Carapaz and Isaac del Toro. He climbed from 18th to 6th in the overall classification in the final days of the race.

At La Vuelta, he rode to sixth in the GC once again, winning the summit finish to the Alto de El Morredero. For a rider of 21 years of age at the time, it was an impressive display of consistency. In 2026 his role, even in a Red Bull that now includes Remco Evenepoel and Tour podium finisher Florian Lipowitz, is of a leader.

He was third at the Volta a Comunitat Valenciana and then again at Tirreno-Adriatico, where he was Isaac del Toro's biggest rival. At the Tour of the Alps he won the overall classification convincingly, winning the two mountain stages whilst having a very strong collective next to him. With the withdrawals of João Almeida and Richard Carapaz, he is likely to be Vingegaard's main challenger throughout the next month of racing.

“I like him, he’s always got a nice big smile. You can see that he lives the racing itself very intensely, but he also manages to enjoy it," Simoni adds. "So that means he enjoys suffering – and, well, the Giro d’Italia is suffering".