For most riders, the off-season means rest. For Davide Stella, it means one final race, another flight, and a notebook full of lessons from an eleven-month campaign that has carried him across four continents.

The 19-year-old from Friuli, Italy, who began his year at the Al Salam Championship in the United Arab Emirates, will close his 2025 season at the Ghent Six Day later this month. Between those dates, the UAE Team Emirates – XRG Gen Z talent collected early victories in Sharjah and Alentejo, pulled on a WorldTour jersey for the first time, and even lined up at the Track World Championships in Santiago de Chile.“The Worlds were a fantastic experience, and I feel very lucky to have taken part — it’s not something every rider gets to do in their first year as an Under-23,” Stella told Tutto Bici Web. “In one of the fastest Madisons ever, Sierra and I gave everything we had. Considering we were the youngest pair on the start line, we got the most we could out of it.”

After that performance — 11th place and a lap gained in the early stages — Stella flew directly from South America to Asia for the Tour de France criteriums in Singapore and Saitama, where he finished sixth behind household names such as Milan, Philipsen and Girmay. “It was a bit tiring travelling straight from Chile to Singapore, but I’m happy with the choice I made,” he admitted.

Eyes on a bigger role in 2026

That exhausting itinerary will end with the Ghent Six Day, before a short break and an early start to UAE’s 2026 training camps. For Stella, the coming year represents the moment to bridge the gap between the development ranks and a more consistent presence in the senior team.

“Overall, I can’t complain about 2025,” he reflected. “It was my first year among the Under-23s and I already got to experience racing with the WorldTour team. I hope to keep progressing and next season maybe deliver a strong ride in a Classic and win a few more races.”

Whether it’s on the boards or in the spring Classics, Stella’s 2025 campaign has laid the foundation for a decisive leap forward. Eleven months of travel, learning and perseverance have made him one of Italy’s brightest young prospects — and if all goes to plan, 2026 will be the year he begins to show it in the colours of UAE Team Emirates.