Ben Tulett has secured the overall classification victory at Coppi e Bartali in Italy. The Brit finished 17th in the final stage, which was enough to retain his leader’s jersey. This marks the second overall victory of Tulett’s career, following his triumph at the 2023 Tour of Norway.
Leading up to the Italian stage race, Tulett had a successful season with two podium finishes in his last four races. He carried this strong form into Coppi e Bartali, securing top-10 finishes in both the second and third stages. In stage four, he impressed by attacking solo four kilometers from the finish line to take a remarkable stage win. Tulett then stayed out of trouble in the fifth and final stage, securing his overall victory.
During the stage, the peloton had to tackle the Rocca delle Caminate climb twice. The race intensified before the seven-kilometer climb, causing a split in the peloton. Alongside teammate Jørgen Nordhagen, Tulett managed to stay well-positioned. Eventually, Jay Vine escaped from the peloton to take the stage win, while Tulett maintained his place in the group and lost no time to his main competitors.
“Today was all about defending the jersey”
After a long time, the young Tulett knows what it feels like to win again. “It’s amazing to win this overall classification after five tough race days,” said Tulett. “We started today with a solid lead in the general classification, so everything was about defending the jersey. We faced strong competition, but we executed our plan very well to bring it home. Jørgen was an incredible teammate today—he really helped me a lot.”
Tulett hopes to carry his good form into the rest of the season. “It’s been a great start to the year,” the Team Visma | Lease a Bike rider continued. “I’m really happy with my form and my performances so far. That gives me a lot of confidence for the rest of the season. I’m learning new things about myself in every race, which is really valuable. I’m looking forward to the upcoming races.”
Robert Wagner: “The boys really fought for it”
Tulett’s overall victory didn’t come easy. In the final stage, he had to fight hard to secure his position. “The stage was short but very tough. Today, Ben only had to follow his rivals,” explained team director Robert Wagner. “The guys really fought for it. Ben was once again very strong today, especially Jørgen Nordhagen. Thanks to him, we were able to keep everything under control and celebrate this fantastic victory!”
Back in 2022, the 23-year-old talent won the young rider classification at Coppi e Bartali and finished second overall. Expectations were high for this edition. “Because of Ben’s previous results in this race, we set clear goals,” Wagner continued. “Our objective wasn’t just to aim for the podium but to go all-in for the win. To actually achieve that is really impressive. The fact that we secured this victory with such a young team, including three riders from our development squad, makes it even more special. The boys really fought hard for this.”
