Those two will entertain us and are already projecting us into a young and fair rivalry. Who knows if one can be friends and equally great adversaries: history says otherwise.. Instead when Del Toro he crossed the finish line in Mombaroccio and stopped to check the gap to Pellizzari, giving him time to catch his breath and digest the reversal in the standings, then he reached out and accepted her congratulations.
Adesso the primacy of the Tirreno-Adriatico It belongs to the Mexican with a 23 second advantage over the Italian that tomorrow to rewrite the ending he will have to make it collapse on the streets of his home and it will not be easy at all. Who knows if in his childhood escapades, when he stayed out all day and ran along the walls of Camerino, Giulio ever imagined that things would go this way.
Valgren, ordeal and recovery
He won the stage Danish Valgren, 34 years old, which after Andresen's success in Magliano de' Marsi rightly cheered up the Danish television journalist. The rider of the EF Education-Easy Post he was on the run all day and finally he found himself alone with Alaphilippe, dropping him on the final climbKnowing his dramatic history, after the defeat, the Frenchman went to congratulate him.
It was June 2022, when during the Route d'Occitanie, his career was on the verge of endingThe hospital report mentioned a dislocated hip and a fractured pelvis, but what seemed like a straightforward recovery turned into an obstacle course.
Knee problems have arisen, there has been talk of risk of hip necrosis and only in 2023 was Valgren able to return to the group, but with the I have to team up of the American team to have a gradual return. And when 2024 brought him back to normality, just He fell at the 2025 Tirreno, breaking his collarbone., losing the classics and returning to the Tour of the Alps. Last victory: the 2021 Sabatini CupFive years later, here is the Mombaroccio stage of the Tirreno-Adriatico.
"It was difficult," he said, "to get back to my level after the injury. When I did, I had to grow further because the qualitative evolution of current cycling is impressiveI knew that Del Toro and Jorgenson were coming back quickly, but deep down I thought I just wanted the win, and I always tried to stay optimistic. I never lost this winning mentality, even in the darkest moments. I feel young, even if my birth date says otherwise».
The pride of Del Toro
It cannot be said that the UAE Emirates she hid herself. The companions of Del Toro they got ahead, raising the pace kilometre after kilometre and perhaps the fact that from a certain point onwards the presence of Pellizzari's companions at the head of the group thinned out he made it clear that Giulio was not today on the ball like yesterdayAfter all, we had written it: this type of route is more suited to a fast rider like the Mexican, but hope was kept alive until the end.
At the end Del Toro he started taking pictures with the usual report, Pellizzari has started to increase his pedaling frequency, only occasionally finding the strength to get up and restart. The Mexican's attack didn't catch him off guard, but he was short of fresh energy and probably suffering from a cramp. The defense was decent, but certainly Del Toro he took a step towards the final victory
«It's nice to be back wearing the leader's jersey – he said Del Toro - I tried to put pressure on the last climb and managed to create a bit of a gap between me and my rivalsIt was a really tough stage, with climbs all day and a very high pace. The team worked incredibly well to keep the race under control and put me in the right position for the final climb. I tried to attack at the right time And I'm happy that this allowed me to get the jersey back. There are still two difficult stages to tackle, so we'll stay focused and keep fighting."
In Camerino to fight
But the Tirreno-Adriatico is not over. And even if the precedents of Del Toro they had credited him with better chances since the eve, We are still curious to see Pellizzari's reaction tomorrow on the streets of his Camerino.
From his house to the finish line there will be a kilometer and you can bet that all the cheering will be for him. A situation that can excite or depressThe hope is that today's ailments will subside during the night and tomorrow's battle will see equal contenders on the front lines. Then the best will win, but in any case we will leave with the (confirmed) feeling of having found someone with whom you can dream big.
