Enjoying the ready sport proved the right tactic for Giulio Ciccone within the first summit end of the Volta a la Comunitat Valenciana, because the Italian racer captured each the stage win and the general lead with a late cost for the road.
After Ineos Grenadiers had collectively laid down a searing tempo on the quick, punchy ascent of Alto de Pinos within the closing kilometres, Brandon McNulty (UAE Workforce Emirates), Thomas Gloag (Jumbo-Visma), Tao Geoghegan Hart and Mikel Landa (Bahrain Victorious) briefly all put daylight between themselves and a shattering peloton.
Nevertheless, Ciccone’s skill to supply an additional flip of pace on the high of punchy climbs already netted him a two-day spell within the Tour de France lead again in 2019 when the race tackled La Planche des Belles Filles within the first week.
On the Vosges climb three years in the past, though he claimed the Tour’s maillot jaune, Ciccone was outpowered for the stage win by Dylan Teuns. However on this event and albeit in a a lot decrease profile race, after Ciccone blasted previous Mikel Landa with 200 metres to go, he had sufficient area on his rivals each to throw his sun shades away in celebration and to make sure each the day’s honours and the general lead had been his.
Fielding simply 5 riders in Valenciana in comparison with most squads’ full roster of seven, Trek-Segafredo had, unsurprisingly, not been in any respect seen on the entrance of the peloton within the day-long chase by relentlessly rugged terrain of 5 breakaways, with Bahrain Victorious and Ineos Grenadiers doing the majority of the spadework to deliver them again below management. However Ciccone was there when it mattered, and he reaped the utmost advantages.
“It was a very laborious stage, however I knew earlier than the beginning that I used to be feeling good,” Ciccone, who now leads the general race by 4 seconds on Geoghegan Hart and 5 on Pello Bilbao (Bahrain Victorious), stated afterwards.
“We solely have 5 riders within the group right here, so it’s [a question of] high quality, not amount, and we solely raced within the finale.
“Additionally, Greg [Rast], my sports activities director, was all the time saying over the radio, ‘keep on the wheels, keep on the wheels, keep on the wheels’.
“So I waited till the final nook, and my feeling was good, I had good legs, and it was my first likelihood to win this season, so I’m actually completely happy I might do it.”
Whereas not a prolific winner, Ciccone has clinched three spectacular mountain stage victories within the Giro d’Italia and has shone brightly in early racing in different years, netting the Trofeo Laigueglia in 2020 and a stage of the Tour du Haut Var in 2019. Eighth general in Valenciana final yr, that is his first-ever profession win in Spain.
“I had a very good winter, the primary one I’ve ever had with none issues, so my situation is basically at level. So we are able to benefit from the first victory and proceed like this.”
Though Ciccone was the clear winner on Thursday, 9 riders had been categorised concurrently him, and the 28-year-old freely admitted that with one other summit end on Saturday, the Valenciana GC was removed from settled.
“It’s nonetheless shut, there are solely 5 riders within the group, so we have to play it sensible, and I believe we’ll have the ability to management it,” he stated.
“We’ll see what occurs on the subsequent climbs. I really feel good, and for positive, we’ll put up struggle.”
