“I raced a lot alongside Roglic – I hope I can race with Primoz and Remco more times”: Giulio Pellizzari learning from the best as Giro d’Italia dream takes shape

Giulio Pellizzari does not talk like a rider trying to force his way into a hierarchy. Instead, his reflections reveal a young Grand Tour contender being shaped deliberately inside Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe’s wider long-term project.

“I raced a lot alongside Roglic last year and learned many things from him,” Pellizzari said in an interview with Marca. “For me, it’s an honour to race with champions like them. I’m very happy to be on this team, and I hope I can race with Primoz and Remco many more times.”

That learning environment is not accidental.

From the moment Red Bull reshaped the structure around experienced Grand Tour winners and emerging GC talents, the stated aim has been to combine immediate results with long-term development. Pellizzari’s comments fit squarely within that model.

While surrounded by riders who have already won the biggest races in cycling, Pellizzari is clear about where his own focus lies. “The Giro d’Italia is my main goal, and also my favourite race,” he said. “We’ll have to see how the season develops, but I’m sure I’ll be in good form, just like Jai.”

That positioning matters. Red Bull’s Grand Tour approach has been built around specific leadership per race, rather than a single, all-consuming hierarchy. With Primoz Roglic being targeted elsewhere and Remco Evenepoel central to the Tour project, the Giro becomes the natural focal point for Pellizzari’s next step.

Asked directly about podium ambitions, his tone remains measured. “The podium is a dream,” he said, “but we have to see how the legs are. Three weeks are very long, and you also need luck. We’ll see.”

It is ambition without entitlement, framed by realism rather than pressure.

Pellizzari believes his form is trending positively, helped by a strong winter and structured preparation. “The form is good, because I had a good training camp on Teide with the team,” he said. “But here we also have Remco, who is very strong and can achieve a better result.”

At 22, he speaks openly about areas still to improve, particularly against the clock. “I feel better on the bike,” he explained. “We’ve taken a step forward in some areas, but looking towards the Giro, I still need to improve in the time trials. We’ll have more opportunities in the next races.”

That openness mirrors the wider Red Bull approach: progress measured over seasons, not rushed within one.

Unlike 2025, Pellizzari will not attempt a Giro–Vuelta double this season. “This year I won’t ride the Vuelta,” he said. “Last season was very tough, so this year I’ll focus more on the Italian classics at the end of the season: Giro dell’Emilia, Tre Valli Varesine and Lombardia.”

Spain will still feature, but selectively. “I think I’ll do San Sebastian and the Vuelta a Burgos, because they’re races I like. I’ll be in Spain during that period.”

The calendar reflects consolidation rather than expansion.

Beyond the Giro, Pellizzari does not hide his longer-term ambition. “I’d like to perform well at the Tour de France, because that’s my dream,” he said. “In five years’ time, I hope to be fighting for the podium or the victory there.”

For now, that future is being built quietly. Racing alongside Roglic. Sharing a team with Evenepoel. Learning inside a structure designed to blend experience with potential.

Pellizzari does not claim to be there yet. But inside Red Bull’s environment, his Giro d’Italia dream is no longer abstract. It is taking shape through proximity to the best riders in the sport, and the patience to learn from them before demanding more.