"He can definitely improve, and the margin is there": Inside Giulio Pellizzari’s time trial transformation ahead of the Giro d'Italia

Giulio Pellizzari is no longer just a promising climber. At Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe, serious work is being done to transform the young Italian into a rider capable of competing in every terrain, including against the clock. With a 40-kilometre time trial on the 2026 Giro d'Italia route, the timing could not be more relevant. John Wakefield, the team's Director of Coaching, Sports Science and Technical Development, spoke in detail about the process.

When Pellizzari arrived at Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe, the first step was simply understanding where he stood. "The first thing we did was establish where he was with his previous team. From there we moved to our own biomechanical observation. How can we improve his position - initially without thinking about aerodynamics or anything else, just from a positional point of view?" Wakefield explained in an interview to bici.pro.

From there, the work expanded to include outdoor and indoor testing, track sessions and wind tunnel visits. "We went with him to the wind tunnel at the end of last season to refine what we had seen during the season, and everything we observe at the next Giro will allow us to evaluate further possible improvements," he said.

The results are already visible. Pellizzari looks notably more compact on the time trial bike compared to two years ago, and Wakefield was clear about why. "Shortening the position was more of an aerodynamic decision than a performance one. At this stage it is simply about making sure the position is sustainable and that Giulio can hold it for as long as possible in a straight line."

One of the key pillars of Pellizzari's development has been the sheer volume of time spent on the time trial bike. "He does specific training every week. What matters is the accumulated time on the TT bike. He does not need to do a single eight-hour ride, two four-hour rides work just as well. Some are important sessions, others are longer endurance rides," Wakefield explained. Specific roller sessions have also been added to the programme.

Pellizzari himself has spoken enthusiastically about this process. "I have been working on time trials - they have never worried me too much. It is a discipline I enjoy and I also enjoy training on the TT bike, so I have improved. There is still a lot of work to do, but I am certain we will improve further," he said after finishing 12th at Tirreno-Adriatico, 37 seconds behind Filippo Ganna.

Racing also plays a crucial role alongside training. "Being on the bike in a race environment is different from training. The body reacts in two different ways, especially in a time trial. So for him, racing the national championships is important, and it also gives us data and information we can use to improve in the future," Wakefield noted.

When asked directly whether Pellizzari can still improve as a time trialist, Wakefield was unequivocal. "He can definitely improve. I would say he is still in the early stages with the TT and that was evident when he arrived with us. Yes, he had already used the bike, but not with the kind of targeted short-term preparation we are doing now. He has made significant progress, I think it shows in his results."

As for how much more improvement is possible, Wakefield was honest about the uncertainty. "Will he improve further? And how big or significant will that improvement be? We cannot say whether it will be another five or ten percent or perhaps just three percent. But the goal is to improve consistently with him, and we can do that because the margin is there."

The body, he explained, needs time to adapt to positional changes before the team can push further. "We need him to be totally comfortable with this change, and then we can become more aggressive in terms of aerodynamics, power output or efficiency in the saddle," he concluded.