“If we hadn't ridden on my home roads today..." - Giulio Pellizzari reveals tendon injury hampered him at Tirreno-Adriatico

Originally from San Severino Marche, Giulio Pellizzari had the pleasure to race through home roads on stage 6 of Tirreno-Adriatico. Despite being second in the overall classification, it was that aspect that kept him in the race as he has been suffering from a tendon injury.

With the Italian slightly injured and Isaac del Toro quoting mixed feelings on several of the stages in which he performed at his best, it turned out to be a race in which it is hard to take many conclusions from towards the following races. Pellizzari, who led the race earlier in the week, was the only rider to battle with Isaac del Toro for the blue jersey, however on the last two hilly stages he did not have legs to follow the Mexican and had to settle for a spot on the podium.

“If we hadn't ridden on my home roads today, I probably would have already dropped out of the race,” he said to Gazzetta dello Sport in a post-race interview. “It was truly incredible to race on my roads and in front of my people. I think it will take a while for it all to sink in. I might never experience this again".

The Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe still made an attempt at winning the overall classification, attacking twice in the first half of the climb to Camerino this Saturday, in an attempt to recover the race lead. However in the steep final gradients, his efforts came back to him and he was caught, eventually dropped by his main GC rivals. He held his second place by a second over Matteo Jorgenson.

“But whether I finish second or third on Sunday isn't that important. I just want to reach the final podium now," he concluded.