Pellizzari vows to fight on at Giro despite Red Bull virus: 'I won't give up'

Giulio Pellizzari has confirmed that he will fight on at the Giro d’Italia despite the stomach problems that contributed to his time loss at Corno alle Scale on stage 9.

According to La Gazzetta dello Sport, Pellizzari’s Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe teammates Jai Hindley and Gianni Moscon have been afflicted by the same illness. The newspaper reports that Pellizzari, Hindley and Moscon all opted against reconnoitring the stage 10 time trial during Monday’s rest day as a result.

“I feel a little bit better, not a lot better,” Pellizzari told La Gazzetta. “I’ll try to hang in there. I won’t give up.”

After shipping time at the Blockhaus and again at Corno alle Scale, Pellizzari begins the second week in ninth overall, 5:15 down on pink jersey Afonso Eulálio (Bahrain Victorious) and already 2:51 behind Giro favourite Jonas Vingegaard (Visma | Lease a Bike).

That gap to Vingegaard risks widening significantly in Tuesday’s flat and fast time trial from Viareggio to Massa. The 42km test certainly won’t be a gentle reintroduction to the Giro for Pellizzari and Hindley. “We’ll see how it goes,” Pellizzari said. “I’ll look to limit the damage.”

The thought was echoed by Pellizzari’s coach Sylwester Szmyd, who acknowledged that his rider might again find himself on the back foot in Tuscany on Tuesday.

“We’ll have to see how he wakes up,” Szmyd told La Gazzetta. “He didn’t ride on Monday. Everything depends on his sensations. If he doesn’t feel well, he’ll need to save the day like he did at Corno alle Scale. But Giulio is in some of the best condition of his life. A virus passes, and the Giro is still long.”

Hindley has fared better than Pellizzari on the Giro’s two summit finishes to date, and despite the illness in the Red Bull team, he lies fourth overall, 4:32 off pink and 2:08 down on Vingegaard. Tuesday’s time trial will be a defining day for his Giro challenge too.