Giulio Pellizzari builds confidence against Vingegaard: "No one is unbeatable"

Jonas Vingegaard is the overwhelming favorite to win the Giro d'Italia, but the Dane will first have to deal with the competition, especially Giulio Pellizzari. The 22-year-old rider is Italy's hope for the coming weeks and is brimming with confidence.

The Lyaskovets Monastery, a 3.5-kilometer climb at a 7.5 percent gradient: that was all top favorite Jonas Vingegaard needed to test his legs for the first time and show how strong he is. However, two riders were able to keep up: Lennert Van Eetvelt and Giulio Pellizzari. The fact that Pellizzari managed to hang on is promising for the coming weeks.

"I feel really good. I am ready for the fight," said the ambitious Pellizzari in an interview with La Gazzetta dello Sport. "Vingegaard is in top form, but I am glad I stayed close to him and held my own."

A rider guided by feeling
But does the Italian really believe he can beat Vingegaard? "Nobody is unbeatable," he says. "I'm not someone who races with a clear plan. I rely on my instincts. I just have to do things the right way, and time will tell where I end up."

"At this stage of my career, I can't say if I can or will win a Grand Tour. Nobody knows. I don't know when I will be ready, whether it's this year, next year, or only in five years. But I will do everything to make it happen, for myself and for Italy. For now, I live in the moment, day by day. That's the only thing I can do right now," Pellizzari concludes.