Giulio Pellizzari pushes on for home crowd: "Otherwise, I probably would have dropped out"

Giulio Pellizzari will finish on the podium at Tirreno-Adriatico without any mishaps. The young Italian even made a bid for the leader’s jersey on Saturday’s queen stage to Camerino, despite dealing with a troublesome tendon injury. "I was really afraid I might have to abandon," he told La Gazzetta dello Sport afterwards.

You wouldn’t guess based on his performances in the Italian race, but the 22-year-old Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe rider is currently racing with a tendon injury. "If we hadn’t ridden through my home roads today (Saturday, ed.), I probably would have withdrawn from the race," he said.

"It was truly incredible to race on my own roads and in front of my people. I think it will take a while for it all to sink in. I might never experience something like this again," he was still savoring the many cheers after the stage.

Podium
Home favorite Pellizzari gave everything he had on the final climb (with ramps up to 19%) to try to unseat Isaac Del Toro from the leader’s jersey, but ultimately had to accept the Mexican’s superiority.

The Italian still holds second place in the overall standings, although the gap to Matteo Jorgenson has shrunk to just one second. "But whether I finish second or third on Sunday isn’t that important. I just want to make the final podium now."