Second-place Ciccone seems to have been in a dark place: "Reasons that only your loved ones and your wife understand"
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Follow us on GoogleLosing by 1 millimetre is brutal, but losing when your name is Giulio Ciccone has apparently hit just that bit harder in 2026. The Italian has actually been performing very well all season, but his agent, Alex Carera, said on Monday morning that his athlete is coming out of a deep slump.
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Expectations were high for Italian after outstanding 2025 season
Ciccone had had an outstanding 2025, so expectations for 2026 were high. The Italian consistently performed at a high level, but victory eluded him.
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He finished sixth in the Tirreno-Adriatico, won the mountains classification in Catalonia, and launched an attack in the Giro d'Italia.
Read more below the photo!
Ciccone lost my millimetres to Remco Evenepoel
In the Giro d'Italia, he ultimately won the mountains classification as well, claiming his second Giro mountains jersey of his career.
After a long summer without racing, he returned and competed in the final stages of the Clásica de San Sebastián and the Circuito de Getxo, and finished third in Burgos.
After Ciccone fell ill during the Tour of Germany, we finally saw him back in Canada.
He was in top form there as well, but fell just short of victory, finishing second in the GP Québec and seventh in the GP Montréal. At the World Championships, he placed ninth in a tactical battle.
Continue reading below the photo
Ciccone fell one millimeter short of the European title.
Ciccone is having one of the 'toughest seasons' of his career
His second-place finish at the European Championships—after a photo finish against Remco Evenepoel—was already the eighteenth of his career.
“So close, too close,” Carera wrote on social media. The Italian, who also coaches riders such as Tadej Pogacar and Isaac del Toro, offered a slightly deeper insight into Ciccone’s strategy.
After the European Championships, the Italian racer himself described it as “one of the toughest seasons of my career,” and Carera agreed.
Ciccone has come back from a dark place
“There are moments after a race when all you can do is give your athlete a hug. Becoming European champion would have been a well-deserved success after a season that was difficult for many reasons.”
It’s not clear exactly what Carera is referring to. But it’s clear that Ciccone has come back from a deep low. “For reasons that only your loved ones and your wife Anna understand,” the post continued.
That same Anna wrote on her own Instagram: “The finish line has rewarded others, but the victory remains yours. You’re amazing.”
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Clarice WebsterEditor
Clarice has been following cycling her whole life, wroting about Thibaut Pinot (among others) for her university magazine while earning her masters in Journalism. She is passionate about furthering equality in sports coverage, and has taken huge inspiration from pillars of women’s cycling like Beryl Burton, Marianne Vos, and Laura Kenny.
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Latest Comments
- - The article leans too hard on “implacably correct” without showing the actual calibration/line alignment. Where’s the timing file or the judge’s overlay? If you want conspiracy theories to die, publish the data, mate.gearguru3305-10-2026
- - Fair play to Viviani for checking the strip and accepting it. Remco now holding worlds RR/TT, Euros RR/TT across his palmarès is insane. First ever to complete the full set? Massive stat.bikebuffj05-10-2026
- - Wait, how does the photo make Ciccone’s wheel look bent? Is that just the scanner slicing time instead of distance? I don’t fully get why the spokes curve if they’re straight in real life.pedalpowe2905-10-2026
- - That bike throw from Remco was textbook. You can actually see Cicco holding speed but Remco launches the shoulder and pushes the front axle a hair sooner. Three millimetres sounds about right given00028s at ~60 km/h.velodromevirtuoso105-10-2026
- - So happy for PFP. After three monster seasons across MTB, CX, and road, a reset is earned. Monaco power couple era continues—like Tadej and Urška. Vamos y bonne chance!samanthak05-10-2026
- - Quick question: why did Pauline stop racing after the Tour if she kept training? Is that normal for the team to shut down a season like that?michael5405-10-2026
- - Class couple. Dylan’s engine at Paris–Tours the week before a wedding is peak cyclist energy. Hope SQS lets him open up the sprint on the Avenue de Grammont!sprocketspiny05-10-2026
- - Small quibble: didn’t they announce the engagement before Worlds in Glasgow, not Rwanda? Timeline here looks a bit off.cadencekingm05-10-2026
- - Lovely news. Two absolute pros who’ve given so much to the sport. Félicitations and best wishes for October!breakawaybikerd05-10-2026
- - Un poco corto en la parte técnica de la bici de McNulty, no? Colnago nero con detalles arcoíris suena brutal — queremos más fotos, per favore.pedalpowe2902-10-2026
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