"We handled this race perfectly as a team" - Numbers game see Visma conquer Giro dell'Emilia with Piganzoli
Cycling
Davide Piganzoli has had a stupendous debut season with Team Visma | Lease a Bike and, although it has not yet finished, it has been better than what anyone could've expected of the Italian. This Saturday, the 24-year old has conquered the Giro dell'Emilia.
Piganzoli, a former rider for Polti, has undergone a massive evolution this year. He's adapted perfectly to the Dutch structure and his performances have impressed all throughout the year. He was eighth at the Giro d'Italia, where he supported Jonas Vingegaard to overall victory.
His post-Giro was perhaps even more impressive. Just off a small rest period, he then returned to competition with a victory at La Route d'Occitanie and Visma deposited so much confidence that he was selected to race the Tour de France. Despite having been racing in support of Vingegaard for most of the race - until he withdrew - Piganzoli finished on the Top15 of the race.
After a period of recovery, he has returned to competition at the Tour de Luxembourg, where he took the yellow jersey with a big attack and then won the time trial the following day - the GC win fell on his shoulders. A 20th place at the World Championships saw him maintain form, and now back in the colours of Visma, the Italian stunned.
Davide Piganzoli has been on stellar form this fall
Piganzoli wins Giro dell'Emilia
This Saturday, Piganzoli set off as one of Visma's three leaders for the Giro dell'Emilia, which features several of the best climbers and classics specialists in the peloton.
The Dutch team worked to control the early attacks on the San Luca circuit, and Matteo Jorgenson attacked on several occasions. The American tried to take a solo win, but was always covered. After the favourites' group was thinned down to half a dozen riders in the final lap, Visma had the numerical superiority.
With Jorgenson covered, Piganzoli played on the classic 'one-two'. “I picked the right moment to attack, and it paid off,” the Italian said following the race. “We had several cards to play. We handled this race perfectly as a team".
Despite this, Piganzoli still needed the legs to hold off Tom Pidcock on the final climb, but he managed to succeed in his mission. "It means a lot to me to add this great race to my palmares.”
Visma dominates Top5
The Italian took the win on the Madonna di San Luca, the biggest of his career. Behind, Matteo Jorgenson and Ben Tulett finished fourth and fifth. “I felt good in the closing kilometers, so I decided to go all in. I also wanted to put my teammates in a good position that way. We still had Ben behind us, who has a strong sprint".
"In the end, I was able to finish it off myself, but this was a victory for the entire team. I’m happy that I was able to show my good form from Luxembourg and the World Championships here again," he concluded.
Rúben SilvaEditor-in-Chief
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.
Beyond editorial work, he has been closely involved in the expansion and coordination of CyclingUpToDate’s wider network, helping establish and support sister platforms across multiple languages. This includes ongoing collaboration with CiclismoAlDia (Spanish), CiclismoAtual (Portuguese), WielrennenUpToDate (Dutch), and RadsportAktuell (German), contributing to a shared editorial vision and consistent international coverage.
He also helps oversee editorial governance across the network, setting standards for accuracy and consistency and coordinating updates or corrections when needed.
Originally from the Porto metropolitan area in Portugal, he holds a bachelor’s degree in Geography. His path into cycling journalism was shaped not through formal media training, but through independent reporting, community engagement, and sustained on-the-ground involvement in the sport.
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)...
Within 18 months of launch, he helped grow CyclingUpToDate’s English-language platform into one of the most-read cycling news websites, built entirely from the ground up. As both a professional journalist and lifelong cycling enthusiast, his focus remains on delivering accurate, timely, and well-contextualized coverage.
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