“Jonas Vingegaard surprised me” – Giulio Pellizzari caught out but recovers to keep the White Jersey on stage 9 of La Vuelta 2025

Giulio Pellizzari may have lost nearly two minutes to stage winner Jonas Vingegaard on the summit finish to Valdezcaray on stage 9 of the 2025 Vuelta a Espana, but the young Italian demonstrated resilience and poise, holding onto the Best Young Rider’s jersey as the race heads into its first rest day.

“Jonas Vingegaard attacked really early in the climb,” Pellizzari reflected after the stage, admitting he was a little bit caught out by the Visma leader's move. “I was a little bit behind in the group, it surprised me a bit. But in the end, when you lose almost two minutes, it means he was just too strong.”

Despite the time lost to the race leader and stage winner, Pellizzari crossed the line in a chasing group of the main GC contenders (bar Vingegaard, Tom Pidcock, Joao Almeida and Felix Gall) in 16th place, just under two minutes down, maintaining a 27-second cushion over his nearest rival Matthew Riccitello in the young rider classification. “I had good legs, I felt good. The last part of the climb was a little bit easier. We tried our best with the team,” he said.

Currently sitting 10th overall — 2 minutes and 53 seconds behind race leader Torstein Traeen — Pellizzari made clear that while the white jersey is a coveted prize, his priority lies with the general classification and supporting team leader Jai Hindley. “The GC is more important than the white jersey,” he stated. “I want to do my best with Jai, and we’ll see in Madrid if I’m in white or not.”

With several tough mountain stages still to come, Pellizzari’s ability to limit his losses on day nine keeps him firmly in the conversation among the best young talents at this year’s Vuelta. As the race moves into its second week, the Italian will be eager to consolidate his position and continue backing up Hindley’s quest for overall success.