"I felt that today was gonna be my day" - Giulio Pellizzari is the unexpected winner on Morredero
Cycling
The Vuelta a Espana 2025 will forever be remembered for Giulio Pellizzari. The 21-year-old Italian rider inaugurated his professional palmares this Wednesday, on stage 17 of the race. With a brutal attack with just under 5 km to go on the Alto de El Morredero, the Red Bull - BORA rider rode solo to raise his arms for the first time in his short career.
Giulio Pellizzari's goal is to fight for the overall classification. The Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe rider is 5th in the Vuelta a España, behind teammate Jai Hindley (4th). Although the German team wants a podium place, having two riders in the Top 5 is already a success.
That's why Pellizzari's victory was so important. Not only for inaugurating his palmares, but also because he managed to put time on all his rivals to consolidate that fifth place that will remain in dispute in the time trial of Valladolid, and especially in stage 20 of the Bola del Mundo.
Speaking to the media after his victory, Giulio Pellizzari was candid and admitted that he is in his best moment: "I think this is the best moment of my short career. I felt that today was my day," the Italian began.
As mentioned, the work of Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe in the fight for the general classification is being very outstanding. On the climb to El Morredero they were the team that took the initiative at all times. Pellizzari's victory was the deserved reward for all the effort.
Giulio Pellizzari now has one professional victory to his name
The fight against Tom Pidcock
Pellizzari knows that the main goal at Red Bull is to go after Tom Pidcock's third place, and they won't stop until they get it:
"It was a weird feeling for me, because I knew I could win. I have to thank my team, teammates, and of course Jai Hindley. We fought for the podium. We haven't achieved it yet, but I think the result is not bad," added the Italian.
"But La Vuelta is not over. We gave everything to put pressure on Tom Pidcock. In the final two kilometers I thought we had two riders in the top six and I thought that if I attacked, no one would follow me," concluded Giulio Pellizzari, who is looking to finish the Vuelta a España 2025 on a high note.
In addition, the Italian gained a lot of time on his rival for fifth place overall - Felix Gall, who is now a minute behind the 21-year-old Pellizzari.
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Ondrej ZhasilCycling Journalist
Ondřej Zhasil is a cycling journalist at CyclingUpToDate and has been part of the team since 2023. He is based in Ostrava, the third-largest city in the Czech Republic, and covers professional cycling across the main UCI competitions, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España. A key focus of his work is startlist analysis and pre-race coverage, where he examines team selections, rider line-ups, and tactical scenarios ahead of major events.
Alongside WorldTour coverage, Ondřej has developed specific expertise in junior cycling and in racing across East Asia, including competitions in China and Japan. He also maintains a broad working knowledge of other disciplines and levels, including cyclocross, while continuing to expand his understanding of mountain bike racing.
Ondřej holds a bachelor’s degree in Mathematics and Physics, which supports his analytical, data-driven approach to performance and race analysis. In his reporting, he regularly uses ProCyclingStats for results, statistics, and historical context. He places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles promptly when new, verified information becomes available.
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