"I hope they don’t make him just a domestique" - Bardiani boss backs departing Giulio Pellizzari for Red Bull - BORA

Giulio Pellizzari was one of the stars of a Giro d'Italia otherwise dominated by Tadej Pogacar in 2024. Finishing second to the Slovenian on stage 16 and in the King of the Mountains classification, the young Italian made a lasting impression on the cycling world, earning a move to the World Tour for 2025 with Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe.

At the Giro d'Italia and across the 2024 season though, the 20-year-old was still riding in the colours of VF Group - Bardiani CSF - Faizanè. "This year he had made a great leap before the Giro d'Italia and another one after," explains Bardiani boss Roberto Reverberi in conversation with Bici. "Having finished the Giro in that way, that is, going strong in the third week, is very important. Even more so because he had been ill. He had been one step away from retiring. Then instead in the finale he was in the breakaway, he obtained two placings and those were tough days. The recovery after the illness and the third week run in that way were two really positive signs for the rest of his career."

As mentioned, these breakthrough performances earned Pellizzari a move to the World Tour with Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe. Although obviously sad to see his star prospect depart, Reverberi is hopeful Pellizzari is given the opportunity to thrive at the very highest level. "I hope they don’t make him just a domestique. I would take him to the Giro and give him his space. I wouldn’t make him just pull. But I think they will take him there. I asked Giulio if he already knew anything about his 2025 plans, but he told me they still had to do them," he reveals. "I told him good luck for the rest of his career. He hugged me, he got a little emotional… and so did I. In the end it was a nice story and it's nice to see them achieve certain results. Seeing Ciccone in the yellow jersey or Colbrelli winning the Roubaix. Just as it's nice to see that at the races the riders who have been with us come to get coffee on our bus. It means they had a good time."

That's not to say that Pellizzari is heading to BORA as the finished article though. "Of course he has margins. And not a little. He also needs to train physically, that's why I say he has some. He can ride better and I imagine that now he will invest time in time trials too," Reverberi explains. "We didn't have the need, so we never made him work too much in this specialty. He had the bike at home, but it's clear that now he will work on it differently. Instead, one aspect he needs to improve a bit is his approach to long climbs. If you notice, he pays a bit for the first change of pace. It takes him a while to get going. He slips away. Then he goes back up and maybe even drops you. But I think this is physiological and will improve with time."