Martin Marcellusi is 26 years old, born in 2000, and races for Bardiani–CSF–Faizanè 7 Saber. Yesterday he pedaled on the roads of Lazio, the same roads that saw him grow up in front of family and friends, in a day filled with emotion that however did not bring the result everyone was waiting for: his first professional victory.

Marcellusi's story has simple and sincere roots: his passion for cycling was passed down by his father, a cycling enthusiast, while the decisive push toward competitive racing came from watching his brother. "My passion for cycling was born especially thanks to my father who was a cycling enthusiast - the Roman said yesterday at Anguilla Sabazia -. And then, let's say the biggest push came from my brother who started racing on a bike a few weeks before me and I took him as an example. That was my beginning".

After his years as an under-23 rider at Mastromarco Sensi Nibali, Marcellusi joined Bardiani, where he found an environment attentive to the development of young riders. Here he refined his characteristics and mentality: measured sprints, race sense, and the patience needed when victories are slow to come. Important placings have not been lacking: second at the Trofeo Piva and the Trofeo Serra Tramuntana, and this year a high-impact podium finish with third place on the fifteenth stage of the Giro d'Italia with the finish in Milan.

Many athletes choose a model to inspire themselves, and for Marcellusi that reference has been Peter Sagan. "My favorite rider and the one I've been inspired by the most has always been Sagan, he's always been my idol. In my early years as a cyclist I dreamed of being a rider like him and even today he's the rider I've liked the most", he said. The comparison is not coincidental: Sagan was a master of one-day races and the exuberant unpredictability that often decides sprints; Marcellusi aspires to bring some of that creativity to his races.

Yesterday racing on those roads he's known since childhood with the GP del Lazio was a moment of returning home. The presence of relatives and friends along the route gave the young Roman an emotional boost that however was not enough to transform his effort into triumph. Despite this, Marcellusi's attitude remains determined and concrete: he knows that victory is a matter of time and maturation. "Yesterday we raced on the roads of home, it's always a special feeling, especially because there are friends and relatives all along the route, so it's extra motivation to try to achieve something positive".

And regarding his desire to win, his horizon is open: "Is there a race where I'd like to win one day? For now many and none. Right now any victory would be important for me but it hasn't come yet. Let's say it would be fine to win anywhere, the important thing is just to start winning".

For Martin Marcellusi the trajectory is clear: grow, learn, and transform his multiple placings into a concrete success. Bardiani provides him with the context, family and friends support him from the roadside; what has been missing so far is only that first, fundamental achievement. But the feeling is that the victory he's been seeking so hard will not be long in coming.