"I’m going to burn all the race numbers and all the jerseys": Giulio Pellizzari turns page after disaster Giro
Cycling
Giulio Pellizzari painted a fairy tale Giro d'Italia in his mind, but instead ended up with his dreams shattered. Arriving to Bulgarian Grande Partenza as the expected number one challenger of Jonas Vingegaard, the reality hit as soon as the first big mountain test. While on Blockhaus, Pellizzari managed to limit his losses, the following stages were marked by suffering as the young Italian tumbled down the rankings to conclude the race in 21st place overall.
But considering the tough moments he's faced in stage 16 to Cari, even finishing the entire race comes as a success for the original Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe leader.
"I am proud to have arrived here in Rome, especially considering how I was doing these past few days," Pellizzari told Cycling Pro Net after the final day of racing.
The 22-year-old continues, noting that there's not a whole lot to look back at from this Giro: "Now I’m giving it all away. I don’t want to keep a single memory of this Giro," he laughed. "I’m going to burn all the race numbers and all the jerseys. After that, we’ll think about the next race."
Regarding his immediate emotions after the race conclusion, a sense of relief prevails: "[I feel] joy... because it is over! An end has come to an ordeal, a real ordeal. I think the hardest part begins now: processing everything that has happened and coming to terms with it. But I am glad it is over. Now we start working on the next challenge."
Pellizzari has had a pretty tough time over the past three weeks, but he doesn't want to think about that for the next few hours. After the final stage, he seemed intent on literally and figuratively washing away the sour taste. "I can’t say more about that [race], certainly not tonight!" he concludes with a laugh.
Felix Gall, Jonas Vingegaard and Jai Hindley on the final podium of the 2026 Giro d’Italia in Rome
Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe bounce back in the standings thanks to their second leader, a former Giro winner Jai Hindley, who stepped in following Pellizzari's drop out of the general classification to climb onto final podium himself. With a third place, the Australian has now completed his collection of "medals" at the Giro, adding bronze to his 2022 gold and 2020 silver.
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.
claps 1visitors 1
Just in
Popular news
Latest comments
- Roglic could not have won anyway, after Jonas followed him when Roglic decided it was his turn for a stage win. Jonas had already attacked Kuss twice, so it was Jonas who was within seconds of taking the lead before Kuss was 'gifted' the win. It felt a bit like Roglic was being thrown under the bus when the team made his unhappiness public.Hills3314-11-2026
- POG1, another nice doc about our favourite, I watched most of it with a big smile on my face (except for the bits about his crashes 😢 obvs!).Lozza14-11-2026
- Martinez had a good year! 5th at the Tour was a great result for him, albeit largely through getting in successful breaks, but he held it better than Pidcock who’d done the same.Lozza14-11-2026
- guess what Valgren, you're 34, and no you're not good enough. sorry to say.mij14-11-2026
- I'm a sepp fan and like to think he earned that LOL, indulge me : ) I think Jonas was fine. Roglic did not want to concede to Sepp. and I don't think you ever attack your own teammate in the leaders jersey if he is holding his own, which Sepp just about was.mij14-11-2026
- enough time? he's 24 years old. He's won 10 races over the last 2 years and some are significant. I won't argue about his attitude being good - it needs to improve. But with some coaching and mentorship he has a lot of winning ahead of him and has plenty of time to win a GT. I don't think he will ever beat Tadej, but everyone else is fair game Look at Mas and Valverde - they were 31 and 29, respectively, when they won the Vuelta.mij14-11-2026
- Pogacar has a fine head on his shoulders.Careful investments and a couple of coffee shops sounds like a wonderful way to chill after an intense career.Stay healthy GOAT.
Brucegel14-11-2026 - I live in Maribor.PogiSloFans14-11-2026
- I live in Ljubljana and often go on trips in the surrounding area, where I frequently see young cyclists in 'Pogi Team' jerseys training, either alone or in groups. By simply motivating so many young people to take up cycling, Tadej has already achieved something truly significant.Velijo14-11-2026
- That's an excellent point. It's interesting that Vader came to that realization only after he learned that his contract wasn't going to be renewed.
santiagobenites14-11-2026
Loading
Write a comment