Giulio Ciccone, from "foolish attacker" to beating Roglic and Evenepoel... and dreaming of a battle with Pogacar

"It was a beautiful moment for me," says Ciccone, as IDLProCycling.com sits down with him in a corner of the Diamante Hotel in Calpe. "Although I also beat Pogacar in karting, after the season was over! That counts too, right?" the Italian then asks with a laugh. The 29-year-old Lidl-Trek climber is relaxed, and why wouldn't he be? Ciccone has rightfully had the best season of his career. Stage wins in Valencia and Catalonia and the mountain jersey in the Dauphiné and the Tour de France. "Last season was very good, which was my goal. I started the winter with the idea of taking a step forward, and I can say that it worked."

"I've had disappointments, including a COVID-19 infection before the Giro d’Italia. That was hard, but we changed plans to the Tour de France and my season only got better from there," continues Cicco. "The Tour is the most important, more important than winning a stage in any race. That's just how it is. As an Italian, I love the Giro, one of my favorite races. But of course, the Tour is also amazing. I was also happy to win a stage in the Dauphiné before the Tour. That's how I knew I would be in good form. It was a beautiful moment when I arrived on the Champs Elysées in the polka dot jersey."

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Now that he has proven capable of beating the world's best cyclists in direct duels, the big question at the media day for Lidl-Trek was: what's next for 2024? The answer came just before the interview. Ciccone will ride the Giro d'Italia this coming season, a race he has only missed once since 2016. Last April, he contracted COVID-19, which cancelled his eighth consecutive participation. "It was a tough decision. The Giro is set, but we are considering everything after that. In the week following the Giro, we'll see whether I can add on the Tour. But the Tour of Italy will be the most important for me. I want to aim for a general classification result there."

A general classification result, you heard that right. Because what Ciccone especially learned about himself in 2023 is that he and Lidl-Trek have realized that it's possible to aim for a top ten finish in a grand tour. He never achieved that before, not even close. In 2019, he finished sixteenth, but that was mainly due to his attacking spirit in the mountains classification. Why does Ciccone think he can suddenly go for a Giro classification in 2024, especially with two long time trials included? "Seventy kilometers of time trials, indeed. That's a lot, it will be a challenge for me and the team. We want to improve my time trial, but whereas in 2023 I wanted to be a good rider and win a race, the goal in 2024 is to be a general classification rider in a grand tour. It's difficult, but it's a beautiful opportunity and the Giro is the right place to try."

Ciccone explains that he has always had the dream of pursuing the general classification. And in the winter of 2022, he laid the foundation for that goal. "Firstly, heading into 2023, I had no problems in the winter - for the first time in a long time. If you can have a good winter, then you start with a different mindset. That's the key to a good season. Then I also immediately won in Valencia, which only confirmed my feeling. But I also changed my coach, nutritionist, everything... I really made a switch at the end of 2022 and did a hard reset. When I turned pro, I was a different rider, but now everything has changed. I had to change in my head and that's not easy. Step by step, I'm getting there."

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To that end, the Italian had to primarily make a mental shift. In the past years, you knew that if Ciccone was at the starting line, an attack would surely follow. Spirited, full of adrenaline, but often against better judgment. "I really love attacking, that's in my nature. I want to race aggressively, join the breakaway, and show what I can do. But in today's cycling, you can't needlessly waste energy. I always lost a lot of energy because of attacks or foolish things, but now you have to be smarter and save energy whenever possible. Otherwise, you don't get results," he says now.

"I was there in 2023, confident and tactically sound. My teammates helped me so incredibly much, and in 2024 I want to show that it wasn't just a one-off incident," he continues. "I never want to lose my attacking nature, even in next year's Giro. I always want to be creative and make something happen. If my head says it needs to happen, like in the Dauphiné in 2023, then I go for it. With good legs and a good head, you can make a difference. That's why we're also going for the general classification in the Giro, even if things get tough."

The Giro d'Italia is indeed a race for which Ciccone can dream of a good general classification. Tadej Pogacar will compete in the Giro, but for example, Jonas Vingegaard, Roglic and Evenepoel will only participate in the Tour de France. It is an opportunity, which the cheerful rider from Abruzzo also acknowledges. "It's clear that Vingegaard, Pogacar, Roglic and even Sepp Kuss stand out in stage races. They have a different engine and belong to a different tier. Behind them, there's a large group of riders who can perform well depending on the race, and I certainly belong to that group. Several factors need to align for success to happen. If one or more of those four guys are competing, it becomes difficult to win. In that case, you have to be realistic. But if they don't start in the Giro, I can perform well. I don't know if I'll finish first, second, fifth or tenth, but I can be competitive."

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Ciccone is looking forward to it, with respect for his competition. Because he also knows that one stage win in Catalonia was one of the most beautiful days on the bike for him, but Roglic and Evenepoel have probably already forgotten about that day. When asked what makes those guys so much better than the rest these days, Ciccone takes a moment to think. Then he gives a insightful answer: "First and foremost, they have a powerful engine. They are champions, which makes a difference. If I can beat them once, it's already a big deal for me. They do it again the next day, and the day after that. They are always focused, mentally strong and full of confidence."

He would like that for himself as well, but Ciccone realizes that it won't happen anytime soon. There is a reason why he is the team leader in the Giro, and a second major race in 2024 would primarily be in the service of others. "If I go to the Tour, it will be to support others, absolutely. I am the team leader in the Giro, and I would like to help the guys in another grand tour afterward. I want to help them because I really want to give something back. What Mads Pedersen and Mattias Skjelmose did for us in last year's Tour..." he refers to the hard work of his teammates in the pursuit of the mountain jersey in Paris. "And why not for Mattias in Liège, I'm more than happy to do that."

At Lidl-Trek, there is also more of a necessity in this regard. The team no longer starts with four or five freelancers in a stage race. Thanks to sponsor Lidl, money has come in - and with that, ambition as well. "I feel more pressure, with a major sponsor and a big project. We need to achieve results and always be ready," says Ciccone, who, however, would not say there is a different culture at the American team. Lidl-Trek remains Lidl-Trek, even with a different budget. "We are still a family, and that is important."