Giulio Ciccone has stood out for years as a natural attacker and stage hunter, but the Italian climber wanted more: to compete in the general classification of grand tours. However, the Lidl-Trek rider repeatedly came home empty-handed, so he’s going back to basics.
In 2026, the 30-year-old rider will once again take an aggressive approach in three-week stage races. He revealed this in the Cycling Podcast by Daniel Friebe and Lionel Birnie. "I’ve given up on being a GC contender," Ciccone concluded clearly, after several failed attempts.
"The fact is that in three-week tours I often have to abandon due to physical issues. After eight or nine days, my body collapses, it has always been that way. I believe I need to make the most of my strengths. And right now, I’m simply better in shorter stage races and classics."
Prefers the mountains jersey
"Besides, I love winning races. Throwing your arms in the air is really ten thousand times more beautiful than aiming for a GC. If I had to choose between a second or third place in a grand tour or the polka-dot jersey, the choice is easy."
So, we can expect plenty of attacking efforts from Ciccone once again in the Giro d’Italia and Tour de France. In these races, the explosive Italian aims for stage wins and the mountains classification. "But I still dream of wearing the pink jersey one day," Ciccone says ambitiously.
In a previous interview with La Gazzetta dello Sport, Ciccone already shared that he prefers to race by instinct. "Exactly. Maybe I’m going against the current a bit, because nowadays people focus a lot on details. Even fans analyze everything, since UCI points are what really matter. But if you ask me: the value of a win is unmatched."
"I’m not someone who wins a lot. But when I do, it does create a positive impact. I like to hear that. And I want to help my teammates too, like I did for Mads Pedersen in the Giro."
