It may have been a farewell to his home Grand Tour when retiring rider Damiano Caruso rolled over the final finish line of the 2026 Giro d'Italia on Sunday, but it was also a day that sealed a new beginning.
In between being called up to the stage to celebrate his career after clinching ninth place overall, his fifth top ten GC finish at the event, the team said in an announcement on Tuesday that the 38-year-old had also sealed a deal to transition into the role of directeur sportif once he finishes racing at the end of the season.
"Damiano is a natural fit for this role. He’s already been mentoring many of our younger riders for a number of years and has become someone they trust and respect. The big advantage is that he’s coming straight from the peloton," said Bahrain Victorious performance manager Rod Ellingworth in a team statement.
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"He’s raced alongside this generation of riders, understands how the sport continues to evolve and knows first-hand what is required to compete at the highest level today. That experience, combined with his character and leadership qualities, will make him a real asset to our sports director group."
Caruso may have had his own ambitions on his final swing at a race that he has taken on nine times, collecting some of the biggest results of his career along the way with a stage win and second overall in 2021.
However, it was also a clear example of him putting his leadership skills to the test on the road. At the Giro, he set aside his own ambitions to support teammate Afonso Eulálio as he wore the maglia rosa between stages 6 and 14 and raced to sixth overall in the best young rider's jersey in Rome.
"I have been with Bahrain Victorious since 2019, and over the years, this team has become much more than a team; it has become a family," said Caruso.
"Throughout that time, I have always tried to help the younger riders, share my experience and act as a bridge between the riders and the management, so in many ways this new role feels like a continuation of what I have already been doing."
However, that does not mean that the rider who has spent more than 17 years in the professional peloton is going to be taking his focus off racing just yet.
"At the same time, my career as a rider is not finished yet. I still have important goals for this season, and I am fully committed to giving everything for the team until the very last race," said Caruso, who has previously said he would like to also take on the Tour de France.
"I want to enjoy every moment of these final months in the peloton, make the most of every opportunity and finish this chapter of my career with the same passion and commitment that has always driven me.
"When the time comes to step off the bike, I know I will do so with no regrets and with excitement for this new chapter with Bahrain Victorious.”
