Ciccone shifts focus after 14 grand tours without a top 10 finish, eyes stage win and mountain jersey hat-trick at the Vuelta

In an interview with La Gazzetta dello Sport, Ciccone looked ahead to the Vuelta after he was forced to abandon the Giro earlier this year due to a crash. “August has shown me that I’m back to my level. The setback at the Giro didn’t shake me, and I’m back on the right track,” said the Italian.

Ciccone believes he’s become a more consistent rider over the years. “I’ve found my place. If nothing strange happens, like crashes or illness, I’ll be there, in the races that suit me,” he said. “But you also have to be realistic: Tadej Pogacar is out of reach. I can’t even compare myself to him. Jonas Vingegaard is a step below Pogacar, but still out of my league. Then there’s a small group of riders, seven or eight guys… and I’d place myself among them.”

That realization may also shape his ambitions for the upcoming Vuelta. When asked directly: “Stage wins and the best climber’s jersey, after the Giro and the Tour. As for the general classification… I’d love to fight for the podium in a race without Tadej Pogačar, but it hasn’t happened yet. Sometimes you aim high, chase something that never comes… It’s better to go after what truly suits me,” said the natural-born attacker, who has yet to finish in the top 10 of a grand tour after 14 attempts.

“The best feeling is winning. Raising your arms in the air is a feeling that’s 10,000 times stronger than finishing high in the general classification. I don’t want to disrespect the GC, but if I had to choose between finishing fourth in the Vuelta, or winning a stage and standing on the podium in Madrid in the polka dot jersey… there’s no doubt in my mind.”

“Maybe I’m going against the grain a bit, because these days people focus on the fine details. Even fans analyze everything, ranking points matter,” said the purist in Ciccone. “But I say the value of a win is unmatched. I’m not a rider who wins often, but when it happens, it makes an impact in a positive way. I enjoy hearing that. And I also enjoy helping my teammates, like I did with Mads Pedersen in the Giro.”

The Dane will also be present at the Vuelta representing Lidl-Trek, alongside Søren Kragh Andersen, Carlos Verona, and Daan Hoole. Amanuel Ghebreigzabhier, Julien Bernard, and Andrea Bagioli complete the line-up. “Looking ahead to the Vuelta, I’m excited. We’ve got a very strong team, similar to the Giro, which was nearly perfect,” said Pedersen.

“Until Ciccone crashed in the Giro, we showed that it worked well to combine GC ambitions and the points jersey, with Cicco in the mountains. Now I think we can aim for the same in the Vuelta, but I’d love to see him reach Madrid with a top result.

My first goal is to win a few stages, and hopefully that will also put me in a good position for the green jersey. If the team managed to win all three points jerseys across the Grand Tours in one season, that would be the cherry on top.”