At 15 years old, Giulio Pellizzari stood on the dusty roads of Tuscany, watching the world’s best rip across the white gravel of Strade Bianche. He was just a fan then, and like any good fan, he asked for a photo with a young Slovenian rider named Tadej Pogačar. Back then, Pogačar was an emerging talent, but Giulio had an inkling of bigger things to come. "This guy is going to be a star, take a picture with him too!" he urged his friend. But his friend passed on the opportunity. He still regrets it.
Years later, that moment would come full circle as Giulio found himself racing against Pogačar in the Giro d’Italia - proof of how quickly the cycling world can turn admirers into competitors. Leading the breakaway into the final kilometre of the brutal Monte Pana, he fought to hold off the Slovenian star. It wasn’t enough. With 1,200 metres remaining, he was overtaken. But the moment was bigger than victory itself. He crossed the line, sought out the Maglia Rosa, and asked for his sunglasses. The request was simple. The result was unforgettable. He walked away with the glasses, a pink jersey, and a viral moment that cemented his arrival in professional cycling.
That was the day the cycling world took notice. But Giulio's talent had been evident long before.
Growing up in a small Apennine village, he was introduced to cycling by his father, who guided his early steps in the sport. Football briefly piqued his interest, but the mountains shaped him into a climber. His Gen Z haircut became as much a part of his image as his aggressive riding style. Though he was a promising junior, he was not an anointed prodigy. When Bardiani signed him as an 18-year-old in 2022, it wasn’t for instant results. It was for what he might become. And by 2023, that future was arriving fast. He won the final stage of the Tour de l'Avenir and finished second overall. His trajectory was undeniable.
His debut Giro d’Italia in 2024, however, was a baptism by fire. Illness plagued his opening weeks. He suffered, but he refused to abandon. The youngest in the race, he threw himself into breakaways at every opportunity, attacking with the determination of a rider who knew that suffering was simply part of the process. And the process led him to Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe.
What happens next is unwritten. He dreams of winning the Tour de France. He has the mountains in his legs, the fire in his heart, and an open road ahead. He knows there is more to learn as he steps into the next chapter of his career, embracing the challenge of racing at the highest level. He might be a young rider, but he’s not one to be boxed in by data and rigid race plans.
“I’m a GC rider. I like to ride by feel. When I feel good, I attack,” he says. “Of course, I follow the numbers, but I don’t let them dictate everything. I know it may sound a bit old school, but for me, this is the essence of cycling.”
That spirit of instinctive racing is something he hopes to refine in his first year with Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe. This year is about absorption - gleaning wisdom from his teammates, the staff, and the new experiences that accompany life in a WorldTour team.
Already, he is confronting the gaps in his skill set. “After stage five of the Volta Catalunya, I can definitely say that I want to improve in the crosswinds!” he laughs. “And also time trialling - I never really trained specifically for it before I joined this team. But I have to say, I really enjoy it, and I’m looking forward to improving.”
Beyond the racing, he’s adjusting to the dynamics of a truly international squad for the first time in his career. His previous teams were tight-knit, all-Italian outfits, but now he’s surrounded by riders and staff from across the world.
“One of the biggest differences between here and my previous team is the resources and the scale and size of everything,” he explains. “But they both still feel like family. Before, I was in a small Italian family. Now, I’m in a big international family. I’m still learning everyone’s names!”
Of course, there’s one particular lesson that’s proving to be more challenging than race craft or crosswinds.
“The biggest thing I’ve learned here?” he grins. “English! I know you were expecting me to say something about cycling, but really, I’m improving my English every day. In recent weeks particularly with Frederik Wandahl. I was with him on Teide and at Volta Catalunya, and his English is really good, so I hope it’s rubbing off on me!”
Despite the cultural shift, Giulio has found familiar faces to guide him. The Italian contingent within the team - Gianni Moscon, Matteo Sobrero, Giovanni Aleotti, and his coach, Paolo Artuso – has helped him settle in.
He’s also surrounded by riders he once idolised.
“The teammate I look up to the most, without question, is Primož. He’s one of the best riders in the world. I love his winning mentality and his focus. It’s a really admirable quality.”
Asked whether he considers Roglič a teammate, a friend, or a mentor, he smiles knowingly. “He’s all three rolled into one. Now I see him as a real person. Before, I saw him as Roglič, but now I see him as Primož.”
With riders like Primož to learn from, Giulio’s ambitions have only grown. His long-term dream? The biggest one of them all.
“My dream is to win the Tour de France. At the moment, I’d be thrilled to even participate one day - but you have to dream big.”
It is a dream forged in the flickering light of television broadcasts, watching Pogačar conquer summits with his notorious ruthless elegance. Now, it inches closer to reality. But he has his feet firmly on the ground. He knows how tough the sport can be, and if he could impart a single piece of advice he’d give to aspiring young riders, it would be this:
“Enjoy cycling. Don’t take it too seriously. It’s really hard, and if you don’t enjoy what you do, it makes it that much harder. Young riders today are very focused, but they shouldn’t lose the love for the sport behind all the numbers.”
For Giulio, that love is what keeps him attacking, pushing forward, and dreaming big. As he settles into the team and refines his raw talent, what happens next is unwritten. But if there’s one thing we know about Giulio Pellizzari, it’s that he won’t wait for opportunities to come to him. He’ll go out and seize them.
Photos: Max Fries & Getty Sport