Pello Bilbao staying with Bahrain Victorious through 2024
Basque rider gets better with age, and won three times in 2022 and was fifth at the Giro d'Italia.
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Pello Bilbao is staying with Bahrain Victorious for two more seasons after another solid campaign that included three wins and fifth overall at the Giro d’Italia.
The 32-year-old Basque all-rounder was consistent across 2022, hitting top-10’s in all but one stage race he started this season. He hit podiums with third at the UAE Tour and the Tour de Pologne, finished fifth at the Giro and Itzulia Basque Country, and ninth at Tirreno-Adriatico.
“I’d like to keep progressing in 2023 and focus on the Tour de France, which will start in Bilbao,” Bilbao said. “That will be something special as a Basque rider and it won’t ever happen again, so I want to be there.”
Also read: Check out Bilbao’s bike
Bilbao quietly keeps delivering top results and gets better with age.
He turned pro with Euskaltel-Euskadi in 2010 and raced at Caja-Rural, Astana, where he won two stages in the 2019 Giro, and joined Bahrain in 2020.
“It was easy to make the decision to stay,” he said. “This team feels like home to me. I have plenty of chances to be the leader, and it’s the best place for me. I also get to work for very good riders, which I don’t mind doing.
“I believe I have room to improve even at my age,” he said. “This year I was able to compete with 100 percent commitment, and we had good results as a team. Matej Mohorič won Milan-Sanremo, and Mikel Landa was third in the Giro. Next year I will put more focus on the classics and try to win the Basque tour.”
