Pellizotti in flagship with a plan: “A Castelmonte in pink with Landa”

The Bahrain sports director from Friuli leads the Basque: “It will be a very open race and you will see, in Friuli it will be a great show”

“From Bibione when my mother closed the bar at the end of the season one day we always went on pilgrimage to Castelmonte: how many memories”. Now Franco Pellizotti, former Italian champion and now appreciated sporting director at the Bahrain Victorious at the Cividale sanctuary in his Friuli (his parents are Carnic) hopes to get there in the pink jersey.

«Of course, tomorrow we leave for the Giro to win it, our captain Mikel Landa will give everyone a hard time. It has been known for years: when the Basque player goes uphill he has few rivals ».

From the team headquarters in Busapest Pellizotti has very clear ideas. Last night he took part in the spectacular presentation of the teams in Heroes’ Square. He tasted the warm atmosphere of the people, who had been waiting for the pink race for two years, but he will not be able to fully enjoy it because not far from there there is a war with the Hungarian government in the spotlight for weeks by the Europe.

«Racing a Giro or following it from the flagship – he continues – is different. On a bike you know what your chances are, on the flagship you have to be the conductor, but the legs and heads of the riders play ».

The Bahrain Victorious of the first part of the season runs, however, in the wake of the successes of 2021. «We are fine, we are compact on the goal, Pello Bilbao will be a good sidekick for Landa who must rest assured.

True, the Tour of The Alps did not go very well, but the march towards a great lap is long. Now from Tuesday on Etna he will have to show that he is fine: the Giro up there may be lost by someone, also because the climb comes after three expensive Hungarian sections ».

And the Friulian stage? In the team there is an exceptional “navigator”. «Slovenian Tratnik, who won at San Daniele in the 2020 Giro, tried the stage and warned us of a series of dangers. As usual Cainero in Friuli does things great ».

By the way, closure for two other Friulians. In the flagship he will find a rival, his friend Enrico Gasparotto, the Casarsian is at Bora-hansgrohe. «He He has a good team with Aleotti, former Team Friuli, a great young man. Maybe we’ll make alliances him who knows ». Then he sends a greeting to Jonathan Milan, who has been in the pits for a month due to physical problems: “he is a champion, he is young, the team is waiting for him calmly”. And with Sonny Colbrelli cheering from home for them it will be a great adventure. The podium? From the bank of the Danube, the 44-year-old Italian champion in 2012 has no doubts: «Carapaz, Landa and Yates». But out of luck he does not say which step they will go up.

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