“I don’t know what happened to Ayuso" - Giulio Pellizzari surges to Best Young Rider at La Vuelta after unexpected explosion of UAE star

Giulio Pellizzari (Red Bull – BORA – hansgrohe) took a major step in the fight for Best Young Rider on Stage 6 of the 2025 Vuelta a Espana, crossing the line in the same group as GC contenders Jonas Vingegaard and João Almeida and inheriting the white jersey after Juan Ayuso’s dramatic collapse on the final climb to Alto de Pal.

For the young Italian, the achievement was deeply emotional. “Today was really hard. When I saw that Ayuso was dropping, I thought about the jersey. Today is a really emotional day for me. I hope that I will keep it for a long time,” Pellizzari explained at the finish afterwards.

The stage itself was selective from the outset. After the early climb over Collada de Sentigosa and the formation of the decisive ten-man break, the race evolved through wet descents and the steep ascent of Alto de Comella. While Jay Vine launched for the stage win and Torstein Traeen claimed the overall lead, Pellizzari maintained his composure among the GC favourites in the chasing group, ultimately crossing the line in a cluster with Vingegaard and Almeida.

“I don’t know what happened [to Ayuso], but I didn’t expect it,” he continued. “Yesterday we could win, we did not win but we were happy that Sobrero was okay [after his crash]. Today he suffered a lot but he's still with us. We were happy and proud of the result.”

Pellizzari’s promotion to white jersey holder highlights his consistency and resilience among the youngest riders in the race. While the red jersey grabbed headlines, the Italian rider has quietly cemented himself as a leading figure in the Best Young Rider classification, now carrying the symbolic marker of La Vuelta’s most promising talent. “Red jersey is really important here, but now I have the white jersey, so I'm happy and we will see tomorrow what will happen,” Pellizzari concluded.

With Juan Ayuso dropping more than eleven minutes on the day’s final climb, Pellizzari’s White Jersey represents not just a personal triumph but also a notable reshaping of the young rider battle at the 2025 Vuelta.