CARI' (Switzerland) – The Swiss stage of this Giro d'Italia, with its 113 kilometers that took the group from Bellinzona to Carì, was swallowed up by Jonas Vingegaard in less than three hours. The pink jersey keeps the promise made yesterday in the press conference of the day of rest and takes home his fourth stage victoryIt was immediately understood that the Visma Lease a Bike he would not have left any space for the attackers of the day. Between them Giulio Ciccone was the protagonist of a Giro that had started with different objectives compared to previous yearsHaving shelved his goal of finishing in the general classification, the Abruzzese is now trying to carve out a place for himself by attempting to win a stage.
Even today the rider of the Lidl Trek He was one of the most active from the first kilometers, attacking not once but several times, asking the others with broad gestures to collaborate. Once the breakaway managed to gain that little space to survive until the final climb of Carì Ciccone was one of the most active.
"It's a bit of a Giro, there's not much to comment on," he says upon arrival, after zipping up his heavy jacket to his neck. "But the important thing is to feel good and keep trying." I'm a bit sad because the stages where you have to break away with your legs are the ones where you have no chance.».
GPM Target
Once we understood that the chances of reaching the finish line and playing the stage were slim, if not zero, Ciccone has put in a lot of energy to conquer the four mountain grand prixThe blue jersey could become a target to focus on in the coming days, even if such a hungry Vingegaard puts that objective at risk. The Dane in fact leads the GPM classification with 211 points, 82 more than the Lidl-Trek rider..
«The next two stages don't excite me – he continues – they don't suit me too much and I might even think about recovering as much as possible in view of the Giro finale. I have the goal of the blue jersey in my head, although a Vingegaard like that who wins all the uphill finishes makes the comeback difficult».
«I also understand the other riders – Ciccone explains – because we have the experience to understand when we are condemned to not reach the finish lineI understand that sometimes there can be a lack of confidence, my attitude towards them is more to try to keep their spirits up and keep trying."
Still a few opportunities
Il Tour of Italy has reached its sixteenth stage and Giulio Ciccone has been close to victory on several occasions so far: in Bulgaria, then in Cosenza and Horn at the Stairs, when Felix Gall and Jonas Vingegaard came from behind. The general leader has not yet left any room in the mountain stages, while in the intermediate stages of chances they arrived.
«It's right that Vingegaard runs like this – Ciccone analyses – he is the pink jersey and he is honouring the race in the best way, so hat to him and the team who manages to control days like these, which are the most complicated. I'm a little bitter, also because as the days go by, the opportunities available diminish."
Change tactics
Maybe one of the ways to try to win a stage, for Julius Ciccone, is to change tactics and try to attack on routes less suited to his characteristics.
"It's not a question of tactics," he replies, "but just of legs, exhaustion, and ultimately, I repeat, when they decide to go for the stage win from behind, you have no chance of finding a way to beat them. The only occasions are when Visma or the men in the standings have less interest, for now these are the stages that I don't like, but it might be necessary to make some compromises."
«My condition is good – he concludes – but when you decide not to rank you have to spend energy to go on the breakaway, but at the same time it is difficult to get there. Maybe, in the end, it would have been better to rank».
