Giulio Ciccone: "I knew Del Toro had to give everything to win the general classification, and I took advantage of that"

On the opening stage of the Vuelta a Burgos Isaac del Toro crashed and Giulio Ciccone fell alongside him, but lost a lot more time. In the final day of the race the Mexican went on to win the overall classification because of that, but the Lidl-Trek rider got the best of him on the ascent to Lagunas de Neila and was able to raise his arms once again.

"Today was the toughest stage, the one I wanted to win from the start. It hasn't been an easy week, because with the crash on the first day and the heat, I felt a little uncomfortable during the early stages. But today was an important goal for us; it was a great test, let's say," Ciccone said in a post-race interview.

Although he had the tactical advantage in the final kilometers, following the Giro d'Italia runner-up up the 9% average ascent in Burgos proved to be a challenge that no other rider could do. Ciccone passed the test with the best possible signs and then in the final kilometer had the legs to launch his own attack and storm to his third win of the season.

"In the end, the goal was to win, and we did it. I was a little disappointed two days ago (stage 3 won by Léo Bisiaux, ed.) not to have managed to win. Today was a good day. I like to race with riders as strong as Del Toro, because we always have a point of reference, so I always prefer to have very strong opponents."

Ciccone's crash on the opening day proved to be a scare, but one that he has fully recovered from. With the Vuelta a España in only two weeks his form seems perfect and he will be a genuine contender to the podium if he is able to maintain it and stay upright.

"Finally, today I knew I had the advantage of not being dangerous in the general classification, so I had a better chance of winning the stage, and I took advantage of that. I knew Del Toro had to give everything to win the general classification, and I took advantage of that. But with such a strong rider, it's always better not to wait for the sprint, so I tried to give everything to finish first. It was excellent preparation for what's next. Now, a few days of recovery, and we'll set off again with the motivation we need to succeed," he concluded.