The Italian rider stood on the podium in the Maglia Rosa for the first time in his career after a determined effort on Giro d'Italia Stage 4
Giulio Ciccone couldn’t believe what he had done in Cosenza, the finish town of the first Italian stage of this year’s Giro d’Italia.
A reduced bunch sprint to the line to third place, after picking up bonus seconds earlier in the stage, had secured him the honour of putting the Maglia Rosa on his shoulders, fulfilling a dream he has had since childhood.
The feeling is amazing. I always dreamed of this jersey since I was a kid. I started this sport dreaming of it, and today I realised my dream. Especially like this, I was not expecting it today, after many hard moments especially last year with the crash, to this year and wearing the pink jersey is really crazy.
Lidl-Trek started the day with two aces, Jonathan Milan for the potential bunch sprint and Giulio Ciccone, who had the freedom to race for both the stage win and the jersey, the tappa e Maglia.
Once the race hit the 14-kilometer-long climb that marked the second half of the day, it was clear that the race would lean in favour of the climbers and puncheurs with large gaps opening up.
This morning when we did the meeting we had a plan that was 50/50, we didn’t know until the climb if it would be a sprint or a reduced bunch like it was. My plan was to take the jersey, taking seconds in the bonus sprint and seconds at the finish. At the end, I did the sprint, I finished third which was enough for the jersey.
I think it would be super nice [to wear the Maglia Rosa in his home region]. We still have a few stages and some hard moments to do before we arrive there, but for sure it’s a big dream. We have a good team and for sure we want to defend the jersey and we can go far.
Ciccone had Lidl-Trek’s General Classification leader, Derek Gee-West and compatriot, Matteo Sobrero with him for company as the race closed in on the fast and technical finish with both riders equally committed to delivery the new race leader into the perfect position before the final corner onto the finish straight.
A late attacked was close with much of the effort done by the Canadian champion before it was man versus man in a drag race up to the line and while, Ciccone came up just short of the victory, his joy was palpable as he discovered he would be wearing pink on Stage 5.
I really have to say thanks to Derek, he’s a hero. He crashed hard a few days ago and today had a puncture, and Matteo Sobrero brought him back. They were both there to help me in the final, Derek is here with ambitions for the GC and he was there helping me, this means a lot and I hope I can repay the favour. I really believe in him and he can do a super good Giro. He’s like a diesel, he needs some time, but for sure he will be top level in the next week and I will do my best to help him.
