We are still with thoughts of Return and how much the young Giulio Pellizzari managed to make us have fun and dream. And above all, to rekindle the hope of seeing an Italian competing for a major Giro. Let's remember this without haste... don't put pressure on him.
It matters little that he paid his dues on the Bola del Mundo. AndHe arrived 6,8 kilometers from the white jersey. That's where he broke away from Riccitello and the others. It must be said, however, that his American rival is a year older than the rider from the Marche region: an eternity when you're 21. And above all, one was a leader, the other a domestique. A luxury, but a domestique.
We, with the help of the fine eye of Domenico Pozzovivo, we analyzed the rider of the Red Bull-Bora Uphill. How he performed and on the various climbs. A sort of technical snapshot of the climber. But first, let's review Pellizzari's climbs at the Vuelta.
Fast climbs, okay
In the first two uphill finishes, Limone Piemonte and Huesca La Magia, two very fast climbs, especially the Piedmont one, Pellizzari had no problemsThere, we rode in large groups, reaching speeds close to, and in some cases exceeding, 30 miles per hour. The same was true for the third highest finish, Andorra, and the fourth, Valdezcaray.
In the next one, El Ferial Larra-Belagua, already more complicated, Giulio started to stand out, running in support for Jay Hindley. On this climb, with an average gradient of 6,1 percent, Pellizzari remained with the group of top riders.
Things changed on Angliru day, now at the end of the second week. At one point, Pellizzari lost ground on the Asturian monster, but with Hindley firmly alongside Almeida and Vingegaard, he managed things very well. On the Angliru Giulio took a "paced" route and made the most of the more rideable sections. In the end, the margin given to Vingegaard and Almeida was 1'11", almost all of which was accumulated in the very tough 23 percent sections.
He was also paying a little, just 14 seconds, the next day, when he moved towards Hindley. Lagos de Somiedo was a climb similar to the previous ones, with an average gradient of just over 6%.
Third week: legs and head
Here, fatigue began to show, despite short stages and a few cancelled sections. It's worth remembering that Pellizzari was competing in his second major Giro of the season, tackling it for the first time in his career.
On the day of Castro de Herville, where we then did not arrive due to a pro-Palestinian protest, Giulio suffered a lot on the Alto de Prado, a climb with long sections between 14 and 18 percent. Even in this case, however, he managed himself well, so much so that on the false flat before the GPM he managed to close the gap.
Finally the masterpiece on the day of victory. The Alto de El Morredero is an uneven climb, with a deceptive average gradient. In the central, most difficult section, Pellizzari dropped out, He lost a few paces, but he managed to get back on track again. When the sprints began, he cleverly placed one more when everyone was in full lactic acid. Him too. This was mental strength, a crucial part of a climber's performance.
The continuous return is also a typical element of the grimpeur who never gives up when climbing and knows how to manage, or rather ration, the effort thanks to a particular sensitivity.
From Professor Pozzovivo
From what we can see, Pellizzari the climber struggles more on extreme climbs, that is, with gradients exceeding 13-14 percent, where keeping pace becomes complicated. Why? Here comes Domenico Pozzovivo, who among other things also raced with Pellizzari at the VF Group-Bardiani.
«It would be interesting to be able to see his files – says Pozzovivo – but from what I see and remember Pellizzari always rides seated, but on certain slopes it's important to be able to stand up on the pedals. If we look closely, Vingegaard does it, and even a regular rider like Almeida. Pellizzari has his own style, which guarantees him a very high level in the saddle, as we saw in this Vuelta, but certainly he needs to learn to ride more out of the saddle. This could be crucial for Giulio."
The out-of-seat has always identified the pure climber, even if this figure is disappearing or at least it's changing. Ultimately, physiques like Pellizzari's are the most popular, perhaps a little less so for the purposes of the Grand Tours.
«Staying more out of the saddle – continues Pozzovivo – would also allow him to have a bit more momentum, a sharper change of pace. Let's take Isaac Del Toro: the two are very similar when climbing, both tall and both ride very seated, but when the Mexican stands up on the pedals he manages to express more watts. That's the whole difference."
Ad hoc training sessions
The same Pellizzari had mentioned his weight in relation to certain slopes. We're talking about a boy 183 centimeters tall and weighing 66 kilos, Normal, but quite a few for a climber. So the other question posed to Pozzovivo was: how can Giulio improve his ability out of the saddle and therefore on extreme slopes?
«There are exercises in the gym – explains Pozzovivo – some strength exercises, but You can also adjust your position on the bike, such as the height of the handlebars or levers, to make it more comfortable when standing. But above all, and I emphasize this, he should force himself to stay in this position as much as possible, especially when he has to do specific or intense work. Which, paradoxically, was my problem... but the opposite! I was almost in it too much. But it's also important to stay out of the saddle. He needs to get used to expressing high wattages while standing».
«Regarding weight, the 50 kilo grimpeur no longer exists and it is more complicated for these guys to stand up for a long time, however Jay Vine, which certainly doesn't weigh 50 kilos, is proof that you can stay out of the saddle for a long time."
