Ciccone bids farewell to Lidl-Trek at Il Lombardia: is the way clear for Ganna?

Ciccone joined Lidl-Trek in 2019. While riding for Bardiani CSF, he won a stage in the Giro d'Italia, among other victories, and he did so twice more while riding for Trek-Segafredo. He also won the polka-dot jersey twice in his home race, a feat he also achieved in the Tour de France. Last year, he won the Clásica de San Sebastián.

This fall, the Italian climber proved to be incredibly strong. Ciccone finished second in the GP Québec and seventh in the GP Montréal, making him one of the dark horses at the World Championships in Canada. There, he was one of the strongest climbers, but finished ninth. At the European Championships, he had a chance for redemption, but he finished just a few millimeters short of the European title: in the sprint, he was beaten by Remco Evenepoel.

Meanwhile, rumours of his departure were growing increasingly persistent. Lidl-Trek has already signed six new riders, but as a result, found itself with an overcrowded roster for the coming year. Ciccone’s contract with the team was set to run through 2029, but the UCI is reportedly set to give the green light for an early departure. Pinarello–Q36.5 has already been mentioned as one of the options for the Italian.

A deal to join Tom Pidcock’s team has not actually been signed yet. What is clear, however, is that the Tour of Lombardy will be Ciccone’s final race in the Lidl-Trek colors. The team confirmed this in a brief press release. The 31-year-old climber will start as one of the favorites to win.

He couldn't ask for a better farewell gift. He'll be lining up alongside Bauke Mollema, who is riding his final race as a pro. Sam Oomen, Quinn Simmons, Juan Ayuso, Julien Bernard, and Patrick Konrad will also be racing for Lidl-Trek on Saturday.

In recent days, Filippo Ganna has been linked to a transfer to the German team. The Italian time trialist is reportedly set to leave Netcompany INEOS. Ciccone’s departure will help that process along: there now seems to be little standing in the way of a move.