Cycling
Meet Giulio Pellizzari, Italy’s homegrown hope for the Giro d’Italia
The Italian proved himself on the biggest stage in his debut season for Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe in 2025, and as he lines up at his third home Grand Tour, his sights are set firmly on first place.
Giulio Pellizzari describes himself as a “normal guy who likes to ride a bike”. But not many Average Joes go toe-to-toe with Tadej Pogačar three weeks into their first Giro d’Italia. The Italian was making his debut at his home Grand Tour in 2024 and describes the experience of attacking the maglia rosa (pink jersey) as the most incredible of his career.
While he ultimately didn’t win the stage, his performance secured him second place in the race’s King of the Mountains category and highlighted his potential. Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe took notice, and the 22-year-old has quickly set about proving that promise in the WorldTour.
From his formative years to targeting a first home win at the Giro d’Italia since Vincenzo Nibali in 2016, here’s how Giulio Pellizzari has got to the top of the sport.
01
Turning pro was a dream come true
Growing up in the small commune of San Severino Marche, Pellizzari’s formative years were spent riding in the foothills of the Apennine mountain range with his older brother and racing at weekends. But his natural talent wasn’t immediately obvious.
Giulio Pellizzari is a rising talent on Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe
© Max Fries/Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe
I always believed in my dream. I wanted to become a pro rider. I give my all in cycling
“When I was young, I was not strong enough. I was good at climbing, but not in the race because there wasn't a climb,” he says. He didn’t let that deter him. “I always believed in my dream. I wanted to become a pro rider. I give my all in cycling.”
He persevered, and in 2022 achieved his lifetime ambition, signing for the Italian Pro Road Tour team VF Group-Bardiani CSF-Faizanè. “Now I'm here, luckily, because it's not only my merito mio lo chiamo (I call it my own merit). It’s not all mine, it's my family, madre natura (mother nature), genetics.”
02
Turning heads on the biggest stage
In his three seasons with VF Group-Bardiani CSF-Faizanè, he started to string together impressive results – a stage win and second place overall at the 2023 Tour de l’Avenir (the junior Tour de France); top 10 in the 2024 Tour of the Alps. But it was his performance at his debut Grand Tour – the 2024 Giro d’Italia – that had many Italian newspapers describing him as ‘the future of cycling in Italy’.
“It [was] very hard because for the first two weeks, I was sick,” he explains. But the chance to compete in his nation’s biggest race masked some of the pain. “The Giro is not a normal race. The whole place was pink and a party.”
Giulio Pellizzari leads BORA – hansgrohe at Giro d'Italia 2025
© Charly López/Red Bull Content Pool
Pellizzari didn’t let his illness impact him and showed that he could match the world’s best riders when the race entered the mountains. A second-place finish on stage 16 proved he could go pedal stroke for pedal stroke with Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe’s Dani Martínez up Monte Pana, while he had the courage to attack the race leader, Pogačar, on the ascent of Monte Grappa on the Giro’s penultimate stage – securing second in the King of the Mountain classification.
“It was a very emotional moment. I took all the energy from the people [at the roadside] who said my name. Italian cycling fans love the mountain jersey a lot. It was incredible to wear it in Rome, on the last stage near my home. It was a big emotion during the Giro.”
03
Proving himself on the WorldTour
Pellizzari’s performances caught the attention of Red Bull - BORA - hansgrohe, who offered the up-and-coming talent his first WorldTour contract. The Italian noticed an immediate difference after making the step up.
“Previously, my team was a family team – we were a small team and my team-mates didn’t help other team-mates. Now it's a bigger world, it’s a different world. A lot of people work for us. But if I want to become a strong rider, it's very important to have a lot of people that work for you – this helps a lot of riders to improve.”
He appeared to hit the ground running and didn’t seem fazed by the step up to road cycling’s premier class. In his first stage race for the team at March’s Volta Ciclista a Catalunya, he finished 16th while riding as a key domestique during Primož Roglič’s victory, but the result would be his lowest at a stage race all season.
Pellizzari rides for Red Bull – BORA – hansgrohe at Giro d'Italia 2025
© Charly López/Red Bull Content Pool
He was drafted in at short notice to the Giro d’Italia squad to perform a similar role for Roglič – the team’s original intention to let him develop away from the glare of the Italian media. But the precocious talent showed he could deal with the added pressure, riding for the Slovenian as he targeted a sixth Grand Tour victory, and helping him secure the pink jersey on two occasions.
When Roglič ultimately retired from the race through injury on stage 16, Pellizzari seized his opportunity, breaking away from the group of favourites to finish third on the stage and climb his way up the leaderboard. Although unable to rise higher than sixth, and second in the young rider’s competition, it was an impressive display in his first Grand Tour for his new team.
His second Grand Tour of the season, La Vuelta, was a carbon copy in terms of final results as Pellizzari rode in support of teammate Jai Hindley. But the Italian also clinched his first Grand Tour stage win in the Spanish race, going solo with 3.5km to go on stage 17’s towering Alto de El Morredero summit finish, and putting time into GC favourites Tom Pidcock, Jonas Vingegaard and João Almeida.
04
Learning to win
Pellizzari has got where he is in his career by riding on instinct, but knows that he can’t just follow his heart. “Sometimes it is not good if you want to win. For example, in the (2024 men’s under-23) World Championship, it was 60km to the finish line, I felt very good and I decided to attack. I lost due to this. I had the legs to win and I finished 11th.”
Pellizzari competes in Catalunya
© Szymon Gruchalski/Getty Images
He is now focused on perfecting the craft of coming first. “I have a lot to learn. [It’s] not only in the legs, but the mind is important – the attitude, the pressure.
“It's difficult, but if I think that my moment will arrive. I am relaxed. I think the team knows how to believe in a rider, I believe in them and they can help me become my best self.”
05
The build-up to the 2026 Giro d’Italia
Rather than being a last-minute replacement, Pellizzari starts the 2026 Giro d’Italia as Red Bull – BORA – hansgrohe’s joint-team leader alongside Jai Hindley. His build-up to a third home Grand Tour has been nothing short of exceptional, too.
His season started in February at Volta Comunitat Valenciana, where he won the youth classification and finished third in the overall behind João Almeida and winner and teammate Remco Evenepoel. This was followed by two one-day races, including Tuscany’s Strade Bianche, before he lined up at the seven-day Tirreno-Adriatico alongside Roglič and Hindley – where Pellizzari would have the edge over his Grand Tour-winning teammates to finish third in the overall.
Giulio Pellizzari will have plenty of support on the streets of Italy
© Maximilian Fries/Red Bull Content Pool
Another two one-day races followed (including the Monument Milan-San Remo) before Pellizzari led a Red Bull – BORA – hansgrohe squad for the first time at April’s Tour of the Alps. He excelled in his role, winning two stages and the overall, beating the likes of Egan Bernal, Ben O’Connor and Tom Pidcock, and clinching his first professional stage race win. His final warm-up race before the Bulgarian Grande Partenza of the 2026 Giro d’Italia, his preparation couldn’t have gone any better.