Retirement, the Giro Miracle & Pogacar vs. Vingegaard - Domestique Hotseat with Damiano Caruso
Damiano Caruso is heading into his eighth and final Tour de France - and before he lines up, he sat down with us to talk about the moment dividing the peloton: Paul Seixas' reported €13 million contract offer from Q36.5. Caruso doesn't hold back. He talks about the pressure that kind of money puts on a 19-year-old, why he'd rather race for a team that feels like family than for a bigger paycheck, and what he thinks the future of salaries in cycling looks like.
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From there, we go deep on his final season: the week Bahrain Victorious lost their Giro d'Italia leader on stage two and somehow ended up in the pink jersey anyway, his altitude and recovery camp at Villars Palace in Switzerland, his move into a directeur sportif role in 2026, and why all he wants now is to arrive in Paris without any regrets.
In this episode:
- Caruso's honest take on Paul Seixas' contract and cycling's new money problem
- The inside story of Bahrain Victorious' chaotic, unplanned run to the Giro d'Italia's pink jersey
- His prediction for the Pogačar vs. Vingegaard battle at this year's Tour
- Why he turned down retirement in 2026 to race one more season
- What it's like starting the move from rider to team director
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