The Giulio Pellizzari issue continues to dominate the spotlight. This week, rightly so, it's been a frequent topic of discussion among teammates, coaches, and former riders in the comments section. Return. Today we continue to do so with the support of the most successful Italian sports director of the modern era, the former Astana Giuseppe Martinelli.
With “Martino” we have dealt in particular the theme of Pellizzari's first double Grand Tour of the season. A double appointment that saw him promoted with flying colours: two sixth places, both arrived without being the designated leader at the start. Tour of Italy it became so after the abandonment of Primois Roglic and had already spent a lot of energy on the Slovenian before. At the Vuelta, however, he was co-leader, but also in this case he helped a lot. Jay Hindley.
"Martino," we called Giulio Pellizzari: two Grand Tours in the same season, two sixth-place finishes, and a stage win. What impression did he make on you?
Very good, beautiful overall, both for the performance and the setting. A positive impression also dictated by the fact that I have a good relationship with him. It's a relationship of mutual respect, nothing more, but I've always followed him because I already liked it at last year's Giro. Once, when I met him, I told him, "If you do another year with Reverberi, you'll have a great Giro d'Italia and then you'll take off." Instead, he left.
And he flew anyway…
Exactly, and I have to say they were good. He went to an important team like Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe which made him race the Giro. And this was the turning point for him. Winning the Giro wasn't a given. With the Giro d'Italia, Giulio realized he was truly a good rider. And at the Vuelta, in addition to finishing sixth, he took a stage win. And when you win, it means you beat everyone, no matter who's at the start: you beat them all. Period. And not only that...
What else struck you about that victory?
It was not the victory of a long breakaway, but of a narrow finish with the best of the general classification. who were playing for the stage and the classification. If we look at the order of arrival that day, there are names like jonas vingegaard o Joao almeida. That sixth place in the general classification is perhaps too small for him, But the victory mattered more than anything. I think that if he hadn't won, he would have fought much harder for the white jersey.
What makes you say this?
Because when you win, you often feel at peace with yourself. I'm not talking about satisfaction, but that unconscious feeling of "I did my part" remains. The head, many times, makes the difference.
So if he hadn't won the stage, he would have taken home the white jersey?
I think so. I even said it at home during the race: it was a mental thing.
And looking to the future, what lessons can be drawn from this?
I wrote to him: “Remember that great victories come from defeats. This isn't a defeat, but something you'll have to analyze.” He really appreciated it.
You pointed out earlier that the good thing was having him debut at the Giro. It wasn't a given in his first year with Red Bull-Bora: why do you think they decided that?
Because they saw it was going strong. That's a team that leaves nothing to chance. The arrival of Red Bull has added value, raising the level of the entire movement. Catalunya Pellizzari had already done well. And then, in my opinion, Roglic will have expressed his opinion too. And what the team's champion says matters.The technicians may have had their data, of course, but they see the rider on the road, in the race. Primoz must have told them: "Look, this guy's going strong, maybe it's better to keep him calm and let him ride the Giro d'Italia." And in fact, they changed his plans a bit.
How much of an impact did the presence of Enrico Gasparotto, an Italian coach who played an important role in the team, have on Pellizzari's success in the Giro?
A lot, even for speaking the same language. You interact more and in different ways, even before departure or immediately after arrival. Gasparotto, for Pellizzari, was an important reference. I never spoke English well and when you try to communicate with a rider using words that don't fully reflect what you want to say, that's a whole different story. In your language, however, you just say, "I'll be waiting for you at the finish line today," while looking him in the eye and patting him on the shoulder. Go do it in English... It's different.
How should it be managed now, with Roglic, Lipowitz, Hindley, and the arrival of Evenepoel? Will Pellizzari be destined for a high-end team?
Now they'll split roles a bit. I think Roglic has reached the end of the line and will no longer be captain. Giulio could really take his place. In my opinion, Remco will do other things starting from the Tour, where he won't be just going for time trial wins, so he won't be taking away Pellizzari's time. There will be room for Giulio, especially since he's the youngest in that group, and I imagine they'll be interested in that aspect as well.
But, Giuseppe, this is a great demonstration of esteem towards him…
I really like Pellizzari. We've seen each other a few times, but we have mutual respect. If I text him, he responds immediately. And he's good at his normal self as a champion, as he is now, or rather, as he's becoming. Now everything is becoming more complicated for him.
Technically, did you notice any differences in Pellizzari between the Giro and the Vuelta?
I saw that he can recover easily and doesn't always stay behind. He can also take the wind. He runs up front without spending too much. He's not like Roglic or Remco, who struggle to hold their position. And that's a great physical and mental advantage.
While conducting a technical analysis of Pellizzari on the steepest slopes, Pozzovivo told us that Giulio should pedal more, even though he's not a 5'11" and 110-pound climber. Do you agree?
It's the modern trend to sit more and move around more agilely. Every now and then, standing up on the pedals helps you recover better. I see it even among juniors: they pedal at 80-90 rpm and never let go of the low gear. Sometimes I tell them, "Blow a cog and stand up. Maybe relaunch better, use other muscles for a moment...", but that's how it is. Ultimately, it's modern cycling: different methods, different gears. Technically, riding so low, standing up becomes a change of position that's not easy to execute. Well I live He has an eye for detail like few others, so how could I disagree with him?
In previous Grand Tours, Pellizzari had always fared well in the third week. This time, however, he admitted he struggled. Why?
First, because it was his second Grand Tour of the season. Then because The Vuelta was long and stressful, also with the protests that had an impact. Not knowing every day if the race was going to be held or how, the transfers... a Grand Tour now lasts almost four weeks between preliminary stages, departures abroad... The guys live under constant pressure, in a sort of bubble, from the morning they wake up until the evening they go to bed. All of this takes its toll in the end.
