Giulio Ciccone and Lidl-Trek aim to race the Vuelta like they did the Giro, says San Sebastián winner

“Red Bull-BORA-hansgrohe went really fast on that penultimate climb, and I think everyone was at their limit there. All we could do was follow,” said Ciccone after the race. “When Isaac del Toro attacked just before the top, I followed him. We went full throttle down the descent, but didn't know exactly what the situation was until we heard we had a minute.”

In the end, Del Toro's legs gave out, and Ciccone also had to deal with UAE's Jan Christen on the final climb. “When Christen closed in and Del Toro had to let go, I decided to go full throttle. That was the decisive moment for me, and I think I made the right choice.”

When asked, Ciccone looked back on the past few months, after he had to leave the Tour of Italy in a good position after a crash. “After my crash in the Giro, it wasn't easy to keep my spirits up. Mentally, I was in a really bad place. I didn't ride for two weeks, and thanks to the team, I realized that it was time to come back stronger. I really have to thank my teammates for that.”

“I didn't expect to be able to win right away, but I can say that I'm at the same level I was when I crashed in the Giro,” said Ciccone, who is not yet ready to tell if he will be aiming for stage wins or the GC in the Vuelta.

“That's a difficult question. I mainly want to start the Vuelta on form and then race with the spirit we showed in the Giro. We're riding with mostly the same riders, including Mas Pedersen. So I'm starting the Vuelta in the same mood: enjoying each day and seeing how far we can get," said the climber.

Starting in Italy, it will be an extra-special Vuelta for him. “I know the stages because we've raced there a few times. But at the moment, it's still difficult to say what I can achieve there. As a team, we always have something to play with: if it doesn't suit me, it will suit Pedersen. And I can tell you that, just like in the Giro, we want to start the Vuelta very well.”