Giro d’Italia star Jacopo Mosca followed through on a brutal bet with team-mate Mads Pedersen which left him with a partly-shaved head. And Mosca’s wife didn’t look particularly pleased when he unveiled his unflattering new hairstyle on a video call, with both he and Pedersen extending their apologies.
Italian rider Mosca upped the stakes before the first stage of the Giro by telling fellow Lidl-Trek rider Pedersen that if he won the first stage, he could shave his head. The sight of Pedersen outsprinting rival Wout van Aert to take victory on Friday will therefore have been bittersweet for the 31-year-old, who knew a drastic haircut was coming his way.
Lidl-Trek’s official X account shared a video of the hysterical post-stage ordeal on Saturday morning. In it, a partly-bald Mosca said: “We decided with Mads that if he wins the first stage [he could shave my head]. I have to say, Mads did a really good job today [during the race]. Maybe not tonight [during the haircut], but a bet is a bet.”
Pedersen added: “I don’t think it’s too bad, but I have to say, chapeau for doing this, hats off, and Elisa [his wife], sorry!”
Mosca was then seen on a video call with his wife – former Lidl-Trek team leader Elisa Longo Borghini – who had an expression of disbelief. Mosca turned to the camera and said: “Sorry!”
It was a monumental Friday for the Lidl-Trek team in Albania – the start point for this year’s Giro d’Italia. Following his stage win, Pedersen said: “That was the exact plan, to push really hard on the climbs, make it a small group, and then a sprint at the end.
“When you win, the plan is going to perfection. We had a clear plan today, we wanted to make the race hard, everything worked out, and after the team is working like that it’s nice to give them the victory. I was not sure that I was able to win, it’s never given that you win a race, there are so many strong riders in this peloton.
“Everyone here is in top shape, and if you’re too confident when the race starts, maybe it backfires. You have to treat it with respect, but believe in yourself and the team.
“When you start with a win on stage one, you can’t sit back and enjoy the next 20 days, we’re here to keep trying, to win as much as possible. I’m happy to start like that, it’s absolutely amazing, but I’m hungry for more, I worked really hard to be in shape for this race so I won’t sit down now, I’ll keep fighting.”