"Stage win or the final Top 5? I choose both" - Giulio Pellizzari the ultimate threat into Giro's decisive weekend
Cycling
Giulio Pellizzari signed with Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe this season and he has found the consistency to add to his incredible climbing talent. He came to the Giro d'Italia purely as a domestique for Primoz Roglic, but after the Slovenian's departure, his ambitions grew substantially in a matter of hours.
At the start of stage 16 in fact, the 21-year old was 18th in the overall classification. On what was thus far the hardest stage of the race, he was the strongest out of all GC riders in the climb to San Valentino and leaped directly into the Top10, cutting Isaac del Toro's lead by over minute and a half as well.
The following day he was on the move at the Passo del Mortirolo, and had a strong finale to the stage which saw him climb from ninth to seventh in the overall classification. With Egan Bernal and Damiano Caruso within two minutes, he could very well move up into the Top5 if he continues to have the same form.
“I don’t know Friday’s stage. I know the Colle delle Finestre, though, I did it a few years ago with the national team. It will be fun. Let’s see how the legs are, let’s hope everything goes well and we will definitely try," Pellizzari shared with SpazioCiclismo.
However his ambitions don't just lay in a potential move up the GC: “Choosing between a stage win or the final Top 5? I choose both. We’re almost there… Some of the other GC riders are more explosive, but now there will be long climbs, which are the ones I like. Let's hope they're like the one on San Valentino”.
Besides having the form and being quite motivated, Pellizzari will also go on to stage 19 with a fresh Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe team who just won their first stage with Nico Denz this Thursday afternoon in Cesano Maderno.
“We're happy. We've prepared a lot for this Giro, unfortunately it didn't go the way we wanted, but we brought one home. Now we'll continue to have fun until the end. What could have been for me if I had had freedom? I don't know and we'll never know. And that's the beauty of it”.
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The Alpine stage by definition: a sequence of climbs and descents 🤩
— Giro d'Italia (@giroditalia) May 30, 2025
Il tappone alpino per definizione: una sequenza di salite e discese 🤩
📈 #GirodItalia | @rideshimano pic.twitter.com/N8UP7UM9DN
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A founding contributor to CyclingUpToDate since its launch in January 2022, Ruben Silva has played a central role in shaping the site’s editorial direction and long-term growth. Before joining the project, he built his experience through independent blogging at Echelons Hub and by producing race previews for Ciclismo Internacional, developing a strong analytical voice rooted in daily engagement with professional cycling.
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Over the course of his career, he has conducted approximately 100 interviews across road cycling and cyclocross, ranging from one-to-one conversations and online formats to press conferences and on-site pre- and post-race coverage. His interviews include leading riders, team managers, and prominent figures within cycling media: Tadej Pogacar, Jonas Vingegaard, Mathieu van der Poel, Primoz Roglic, Wout van Aert, Joao Almeida and Tom Pidcock; managers like Patrick Lefevere and Joxean Matxin; and YouTube personality Bryan Kennedy (BKXC)...
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- 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
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- 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
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