The love story between Giulio Ciccone and the Giro d’Italia has had some unforgettable highs: his first professional victory at age 21 in Sestola back in 2016, that electrifying show on the Mortirolo, the win in Ponte di Legno capped off by his iconic sunglasses toss, and the Maglia Azzurra as best climber in 2019. Then there was the solo masterpiece in Cogne in 2022. These wins have defined his career, one of an all-action rider who knows how to thrill the crowd.
And yet, the Corsa Rosa hasn’t always returned the love. Just when it’s seemed like Ciccone was ready to truly fight for GC, something was there to hold him back. In 2020, when the Giro was moved to October due to the Covid pandemic, he arrived as one of the most anticipated riders following his breakout season the year before. But after 14 largely anonymous stages, he was forced to abandon due to bronchitis. The following year, he came out flying, going toe-to-toe with eventual winner Egan Bernal in the early stages, only to fade later on. A crash on the descent from Passo di San Valentino before Stage 18 forced him to withdraw, ending his chances at what looked like a very realistic Top 10 overall.
In 2022, Covid struck just before the Grande Partenza in Budapest. Despite that, he still started the race, dropped out of GC contention early, but managed to pull off a stage win in Cogne. That remains his last Giro appearance – not by choice, but because in recent years, setbacks have been piling up. The start of 2023 gave us one of the best versions of Ciccone yet: strong, consistent, holding his own with the world’s best in top-level races. All signs pointed toward a starring role at the Giro. Then, once again, Covid reappeared. Ciccone fell ill after Liège–Bastogne–Liège and couldn’t recover in time. The Giro was off the table and the focus shifted to the Tour de France, where he delivered a brilliant ride to claim the polka dot jersey, capping what was undoubtedly his best season ever.
See you in 2024, then? In theory, yes. In practice, not quite. Late in 2023, Ciccone announced his intention to return to the Giro, but during the winter he began suffering from saddle-related issues that required surgery in February. A proper recovery in time for May became impossible. Ciccone’s season didn’t start until late April, once again focusing on the Tour de France, where he finished 11th overall. The sweetest part of the year came in its final act: a podium at Il Lombardia, behind only Tadej Pogačar and Remco Evenepoel.
This year, the Lidl-Trek climber has started strong again, showing glimpses of the 2023 version of himself. He took second at the UAE Tour, behind Pogačar. The question that’s always followed him still lingers: is Ciccone a stage hunter or a GC rider? Maybe even he’s looking to find out for sure, hopefully in a season built from start to finish without setbacks. The curiosity, the excitement, and the hope of cheering him on at the Giro are sky-high for the Italians. Let’s just hope, for once, bad luck stays out of his way.
