Giulio Ciccone on Liège-Bastogne-Liège: "There is more room to try to put the number one favourite, Tadej Pogacar, in trouble"

Giulio Ciccone rode to fifth at Flèche Wallone and that has been a motivating factor ahead of Liège-Bastogne-Liège. The Italian is preparing for the Giro d'Italia, but amidst a strong season he also comes as an outsider for La Doyenne.

"I think Liège-Bastogne-Liège is a race that suits me better. I arrived at the classics in good condition and the first race, the Walloon Arrow, didn't go too bad," Ciccone told TuttoBiciWeb. "It was my first race after a month of intensive training with a view to Giro. It was an encouraging result, I am confident that I can do well on Sunday."

Ciccone won a stage at the Volta a Comunitat Valenciana and finished second there early in the year, but has also showed great form throughout the stage-races in the spring. An explosive climber, he's well suited to the Ardennes classics, and he will be an outsider for today's race in the tough Ardennes ascents.

“It has always been a race I loved to watch on television. I am convinced that it fits my qualities. I like one-day competitions: they are nervous, tense, explosive, all-in competitions. You have to be one hundred percent, both physically and mentally. With the good feeling I've got, I'm motivated to do my best," he continued.

Ciccone shares leadership duties with Mattias Skjelmose who was second at Flèche Wallone, providing Trek - Segafredo with different cards. They will be good options for the podium, both of them. It will be difficult to contest with the likes of Tadej Pogacar and Remco Evenepoel however he doesn't throw out the possibility of a surprise.

"...There is more room to try to put the number one favourite, Tadej Pogacar, in trouble. We have proven that we have a strong and competitive team. We must try to capitalize on the strength of the team. I certainly hope for a tough match, where stamina will be the deciding factor," he concluded.