The Italian superstar - who had already worn the Maglia Rosa at this year's Giro d'Italia - was able to go on his first proper stage hunt of this year's race.
Giulio Ciccone has never shied away from talking about his goals in Italy, eyeing stage wins while his Canadian teammate fights for the General Classification, and Stage 9 was the first round of a new Giro d’Italia for the 31-year-old.
Below he talks through his effort and his feelings after heartbreak saw him caught inside two kilometers to go after the General Classification contenders chased him down in the final moments of the dat.
Post-race Reaction
Even today they didn't want me up there from the start, and I had to spend quite a lot to try at get there, I tried many times. It was just an annoying tempo in the bunch and I was also a bit annoyed to tell the truth. That's why when I saw the opportunity, I decided I had nothing to lose. On the small kick, I tried to jump because the breakaway was close, but even there I spent quite a lot to close this gap.
I was feeling quite good on the last climb, so I tried to give everything, but it was not enough. The gap was not too big and the efforts from before were, for sure, killing the legs. At the end, it was a good try and for sure, maybe in the next stages, when we have some more climbing in the start, it will be much better for me will be more difficult to control for the others.
Cicco’s Day in Photos
