"I’m motivated to finish the season on a high" - Visma will bet on a secret trump card at Giro dell'Emilia

Ben Tulett rode a strong Vuelta a Espana, often remaining as one of Jonas Vingegaard's last men on the hardest summit finishes. As a teammate of the red jersey, he didn't get many opportunities for himself in Spain, but the situation will be different this weekend. While the end of the 2025 season is gradually approaching, a lot of exciting action is still awaiting riders in Italy with a set of one-day classics, culminating at the final Monument of the year - Il Lombardia. The block opens with Giro dell'Emilia and Tulett will be there as the leader of Visma | Lease a Bike.

"After the Vuelta, I had some rest days to absorb everything and detox both mentally and physically. I’m feeling good now, and everything has gone smoothly leading up to this Italian block. The races here are very honest, and it’s some of the most aggressive racing you’ll see the entire year. I’m motivated to finish the season on a high," Tulett says on a team website.

The main dish of the Saturday's race is the famous San Luca climb which will be contested a total of five times. However the run-in towards the final circuit is not easy either and strong climbers traditionally perform well in the Italian 1.Pro race. In absence of world champion Tadej Pogacar, many can hope to add the Italian semi-classic to their palmares, Tulett included.

"Giro dell’Emilia should suit my characteristics. It’s a really special finale on the San Luca, very demanding. I’m going into the race with positive intentions, and of course it’s nice to have the opportunity to race for a result myself, but we also have a strong squad there."

Coming in a quick succession will be Coppa Bernocchi where versatile fast men such as Visma's comet of this season Matthew Brennan will conclude his successful pro debut, and Tre Valli Varesine. The explosive circuit should once again suit Tulett who will be accompanied by Sepp Kuss, Cian Uijtdebroeks or Jorgen Nordhagen.

"We’re bringing a really strong team to Tre Valli Varesine," said sports director Marc Reef. "The attacks usually start quite early, and we want to be there and race aggressively. Ben will be the protected guy again, but Sepp Kuss is also flying in from America. He has been doing some good training since the Vuelta, so we’re hoping he can do well in these races too. His skills as a one-day rider are sometimes overlooked."

Regardless of result, the 24-year-old can look back at a successful year curing which he won the general classification of Settimana Coppi e Bartali, finish 12th at Critérium du Dauphiné, 3rd overall at Tour de l'Ain and rode a strong Vuelta a Espana.

"I definitely feel like I’ve taken a step this year. It’s evident in the results and performances too, and I think we can be happy with that too. It also shows that the structure of the team works really well for me, so that gives me a lot of confidence for the future," Tulett concludes.