Image 1 of 2
After simply over two weeks of his debut Grand Tour on the Giro d’Italia, 20-year-old Giulio Pellizzari is making the headlines because the race hits the Alps.
The Italian, racing for ProTeam VF Group-Bardiani CSF-Faizanè, has, previously two days, completed battle with GC leaders for a stage win in Livigno, been gifted some maglia rosa memorabilia from race chief Tadej Pogačar, and gained the Cima Coppi prize.
Pellizzari turned professional with Bardiani straight from the junior ranks two years in the past and is now making his Giro debut because the youngest man within the race – 21 years youthful than his teammate Domenico Pozzovivo.
He positioned second on stage 16 in Livigno, main the late breakaway till the ultimate kilometre of the abridged stage earlier than the dominant Pogačar swept previous to seize his fifth stage win. After the end, he met the Slovenian to ask for his sun shades, and later informed the story of the assembly to TuttoBiciWeb.
“When I noticed Pogačar coming, I believed, ‘Bastard, once more?’ But that is OK,” Pellizzari recalled. “My brother messaged me ‘Find a method to get Pogačar’s sun shades’ so I got here into the tent and requested for them. He additionally gave me his maglia rosa. I wanted him all the most effective – he is nice, the most effective in historical past.
“My Giro? It’s solely simply starting.”
Pellizzari was actually proper about that. A day later, he is again within the breakaway together with star names corresponding to stage 12 winner Julian Alaphilippe, former race winner Nairo Quintana, and 2021 runner-up Damiano Caruso.
He beat the Colombian up the primary climb of stage 17, the two,244-metre Passo Sella, edging throughout the road in a photo-finish dash. As a consequence, he gained the 2024 Cima Coppi prize, which had initially been positioned on the Passo dello Stelvio (2,758m) and the Umbrailpass (2,498m) earlier than the 2 mountains had been taken off the race route.
Between that and his main the breakaway over the first-category Passo Rolle, Pellizzari has now jumped into second place within the mountain competitors behind classification chief Pogačar. He has 146 factors and counting to the Slovenian’s 206 with a most of 67 left to battle over on the ultimate three climbs of the day.
But Pellizzari’s achievements could by no means have come to cross if he had his means final week when he was planning to move residence however for the recommendation of his coach, Leonardo Piepoli, and Massimiliano Gentili, directeur sportif at his junior biking membership UC Foligno.
“It’s a terrific satisfaction as a result of solely 5 days in the past I used to be extra at residence than within the race,” Pellizzari mentioned of his race on stage 16. “I had a cough, a chilly and a sore throat and I used to be extra there than right here.
“But because of my household, Massimiliano Gentili, and Leonardo Piepoli, I used to be in a position to keep within the race and I had a stupendous day. On stage 11 I referred to as Gentili and informed him ‘I’m going residence’ however he taught me not to surrender, so this result’s for him.”
💙 🏔️ Results of the Cima Coppi on the Passo Sella: 🥇 🇮🇹 Giulio Pellizzari (VBF)🥈 🇨🇴 @NairoQuinCo (MOV)🥉 🇫🇷 @alafpolak1 (SOQ)#GirodItalia pic.twitter.com/koJXhrPJyBMay 22, 2024