“Keep fighting until Rome” - Giulio Pellizzari continues to pick up the pieces after Roglic abandonment
Cycling
With Primoz Roglic out and Red Bull – BORA – hansgrohe
forced to regroup, few would have expected the young Giulio Pellizzari to
emerge as one of the team’s standout riders at the 2025 Giro d’Italia. And yet,
as the race rolls into its final mountain gauntlet, Pellizzari sits seventh
overall, five minutes off the maglia rosa of Isaac Del Toro, and still full of
belief.
Before the start of Stage 19, Pellizzari spoke to Cycling
Pro Net with the same beaming optimism that have helped him over the past 3
weeks. “I’m 21 years old, I’m living my dream,” he said, smiling. “So I can’t
be only happy.”
It’s a rare attitude deep into the Giro, where fatigue and
pressure have begun to show on nearly every face in the peloton. But
Pellizzari’s joy feels genuine. His team may have lost its leader on Stage 16,
but the Italian’s morale has only grown, especially after teammate Nico Denz
salvaged a morale-boosting stage win yesterday.
“Yesterday we were really, really happy for Nico,”
Pellizzari said. “We spent a lot of time together in training in the last three
months. We came here for another goal, but in the end, we won a stage. So we
are happy and keep fighting until Rome.”
Fighting is exactly what Pellizzari intends to do over the
next two days, with Stage 19 and 20 set to provide the Giro’s hardest terrain:
big mountains, long climbs, and no room to hide. “Finally, it’s coming, the
hardest stage in this Giro,” he said. “So many climbs, long climbs… we’ll keep
fighting and let’s see what happens. If the legs are good, we will try for
sure.”
Even in the absence of Roglic, Pellizzari says he’s still
drawing strength from the experience of racing alongside the Slovenian great.
“I’m learning a lot from Primož,” he said. “After the stage, I watch him a lot.
I really like the calm that he has before the start. And when he wants a race,
he invests a lot for it. This is really good for me.”
That mentorship seems to have helped the young Italian
maintain perspective. Though a stage win remains his dream, Pellizzari is
keeping his ambitions grounded in the last stages.
“I would like to win a stage, but that will be hard,” he
admitted. “I’m seventh in GC, so I’ll keep fighting. Also, top five can be good
for me. But let’s see.”
Fin MajorCycling Journalist
Fin Major is a UK-based writer at CyclingUpToDate and has been part of the team since 2024. He is the site’s main writer for FAQs and evergreen explainers and has written around 2,000 pieces for the platform. Alongside this work, he focuses on in-depth analysis and covers the biggest races on the calendar, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España, providing clear context around performance trends, tactics, and key storylines.
In his reporting, Fin uses reputable data sources such as 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. Outside of writing, Fin is an active cyclist, which supports his practical understanding of the sport and its demands.
claps 7visitors 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