It was a move that few expected, perhaps not even him, but Giulio Pellizzari with a comeback sprint today managed to claim second place behind only Van Der Poel. The result in itself is already surprising because he left behind riders of the caliber of Van Aert (here on his ideal terrain), but on top of that the Marche rider managed to pocket 6" of time bonus that allowed him to wear the azzurra jersey in his home race. The symbol of leadership is the rightful recognition for truly perfect race conduct; Giulio was always in the front positions of the group, never got caught off guard and even in the final he was ready to fight.

«It's beautiful and crazy, it will take me a moment to realize I have this jersey, but I want to do it as soon as possible to enjoy it at its best. Tomorrow we'll start from my region and it's really special. I need a moment to process everything because the last kilometers of the race were quite hectic. I was feeling good on the climb, I wanted to attack, but I preferred to see what del Toro would do and then once we reached the seafront I played my cards, at one point in the sprint everyone kind of got stuck in the middle of the road and so I tried, sprints aren't really my terrain, but I have to say that this time it went pretty well» explained Giulio, who tomorrow will start with the azzurra jersey in his Marche region, among his fans.

Pellizzari's azzurra jersey is further confirmation of the great talent of the very young Marche rider who in these days has proven strong on all terrains. If last year many saw him as a utility player for Red Bull Bora, now he is taking on the role of captain, moving the team and proving ready at every moment of the race. «I've reflected a lot on my role as leader, during the winter I worked hard, I feel definitely better and I believe I've improved. Last year the team didn't ask me to produce results at all costs, now it's different, I'm the first one who wants more from myself and I consider myself fortunate to have so many champions around me to learn from. Roglic is a fantastic rider and sometimes I still can't believe I can race alongside him, I still have a lot to learn and I'm trying to do it step by step. I hope to stay in this group for as long as possible» continues Giulio, who admits he has improved greatly compared to last year. Already during the winter he felt that something was changing, more strength, more intensity, step by step he is building himself as a rider, but his desire to have fun on the bike and to learn hasn't changed.

If before Giulio always had to chase, now it's him who is ahead of his rival – friend del Toro. They are separated by only 2" and in the absence of a major climb in the Tirreno Adriatico route it will be essential to play everything out constantly, also for the time bonuses. «Today in the group I was thinking about when was the first time I managed to drop del Toro, maybe we were still Juniors. Then we battled at the Tour de l'Avenir and then he became really strong, I'm happy with his progress, he's very young but already last year he managed to become the second strongest athlete in the world – adds Pellizzari – in this Tirreno there are no very long climbs which are also the ones that suit my characteristics best and so I have to adapt a bit. I'm growing every day and I'm finding myself doing well on the short climbs too, I hope to continue in this direction.»

At the end of the press conference the young Marche rider confirmed that, next week, in addition to the Milano Torino, he will be at the start of the Milano Sanremo to support his team.