He rode his first Giro d'Italia at 20 with VF Group - Bardiani CSF Faizanè last year. Everyone remembers that stage finishing in Santa Cristina in Val Gardena, riding on Pogacar's wheel, finishing second, but with the awareness of being a protagonist behind the strongest rider in the world. From San Severino Marche, Giulio Pellizzari started his great adventure with Red Bull - Bora Hansgrohe: the German team quickly understood the qualities of the young man from Marche and signed him to a contract until 2027. In this Giro, Pellizzari was not supposed to be the team leader but would have followed Primoz Roglic, the Slovenian who wanted to win his second pink jersey. Roglic fell and was forced to withdraw, and Giulio Pellizzari, at just 21 years old, found himself wearing the captain's jersey in one of the strongest teams in the World Tour.

"I had a team that supported me in the best possible way, I'm really happy, I thank them and I have many beautiful memories with them," Pellizzari said after the finish line. "I'm happy with what I've done. I think I did well and I even enjoyed myself, despite losing Primoz."

The rider from Marche continued to improve throughout these three weeks of racing. We saw him up front with the big names, and never once did we witness him hesitate. In the end, Pellizzari finished sixth in the general classification and second in the young riders' classification. He didn't win a stage, but his third place at San Valentino was the result that gave him the strength to continue fighting.

"Let's say that the third week is the one where I feel most comfortable, and therefore I can perform a bit better. Hopefully in the future we can compete for something important. Let's see what the future holds, right now I just want to rest a bit."

Three weeks of racing are always challenging, but Giulio Pellizzari has the desire to improve and do well, and his final assessment is more than positive.

"We're happy. It could have gone better, but we're happy. Of course, something could have been changed, but there's always time to improve, and in the end, this Giro was positive for me."

Pellizzari lives in San Marino, and in the same building lives Isaac Del Toro. The two are the same age and have a good relationship. They see each other rarely due to races, but when they're home, they meet and spend time together. "On Saturday, after the finish in Sestriere, I went to Isaac to congratulate him. I told him I was sorry he didn't win, but he will definitely return and maybe improve on his second place. He's a strong guy, and I'm sure he'll achieve important results."

Like last year, the Giro d'Italia finished in Rome, and many cheered for the young man from Marche. "I enjoyed arriving in Rome, it was a bit like last year. The people were fantastic and they were calling me from everywhere, it's truly an exciting emotion." The Giro has ended, and Pellizzari wants to look ahead, carrying with him many experiences that have helped him grow and improve.

"We look to the future positively, we must move forward as if nothing happened and continue to do well. In this Giro, we experienced ups and downs, like losing Primoz, but also the desire to recover. I think the most beautiful and the most difficult moment of these three weeks happened at the same time, when after the Siena stage, we got on the bus, with Primoz having lost two and a half minutes. Yes, that was probably the most difficult moment, and the most beautiful moment came immediately after, when we stopped at a bar with the bus to have some beers to keep morale high, and there I realized that we are truly a great group and it's wonderful to be part of it."