Opinion | Diego Ulissi’s Day in Pink Was Short-Lived but Meaningful

At 35, Diego Ulissi wasn’t supposed to be here. The pink jersey? Reserved for the rising stars like Remco Evenepoel and Juan Ayuso. Today’s world is obsessed with wattage and marginal gains, but Ulissi reminded us that wisdom still wins races. And he did it at an age when most professionals transition to master's cycling.

When XDS-Astana Team turned the screws on Stage 8, all eyes were on their new recruit Lorenzo Fortunato. But it was Ulissi who rushed at the right moment and snatched the pink off Primož Roglič’s shoulders in one of the Giro’s most elegant ambushes. Diego Ulissi pulling on the Maglia Rosa symbolised home-ground glory for the Italian veteran. Though it lasted just one day, it felt like one of the most meaningful pink jerseys in recent memory.

Ulissi’s win still shows you how unpredictable Cycling can be. It’s becoming more optimised by the day, but surely, even the top forecasting experts couldn’t predict that. Nor could the best online betting sites have realised that they’d need to change the dynamic odds drastically.

Ulissi grabbed the Maglia Rosa the hard way, not leading with fireworks or mountain dominance like his younger rivals. He played the long game. Ulissi rode smartly, positioned himself perfectly, and showed a dash of instinct where others faltered. It felt like watching the classic Ulissi; quietly efficient, never flashy.

Though Ulissi finished third in Stage 8 behind Luke Plapp and Wilco Kelderman, his stats were enough to take the pink jersey with a 12-second lead over Lorenzo Fortunato, his teammate at XDS-Astana Team. Ulissi is the first Italian to wear the Maglia Rosa since Alessandro De Marchi did in 2021, ending an 86-stage drought. So, Ulissi was right to scream in delight when he learned that.

According to reporters, the father of three young daughters admits to having a satisfactory cycling career with eight stage wins at the Giro. While speaking to the press, Ulissi expressed that being presented with the pink jersey with the XDS-Astana Team stamped on it made him quite emotional. That’s quite reasonable, as this is his first time wearing the pink.

The funny part was that Ulissi won the Maglia Rosa based on a stat he wasn’t fully aware of. According to his interviews after the race, XDS-Astana Team did not communicate the exact gaps with him. Ulissi thought it was the best choice because that knowledge might have distracted him during the race. It was memorable to watch the Italian veteran get emotional at the podium.

The gravelled track of Stage 9 in the 2025 Giro d’Italia was built for younger and hungrier legs. Yet, here stood Ulissi; not as a nostalgia act from Italy's golden age of cycling (1930s–50s), but as the general classification leader who turned two tactical stages into his quiet renaissance.

Ulissi probably knew that his jersey wouldn’t last. He wasn’t built to defend it in a long-time trial or go toe-to-toe with the young GC riders in the high mountains. Honestly speaking, that’s what made his Maglia Rosa win beautiful. Wout van Aert won Stage 9, and 21-year-old Isaac Del Toro claimed the Maglia Rosa after finishing second.

Cycling is not a sport of lasting legacies; it lives and dies by the day. It all depends on a split-second decision on a dusty gravel road. Diego Ulissi’s reign in pink was short, but it was real. It showed us that old legs can still dream; sometimes, one day is enough to write your name in history.