The first battle in the Pyrenees didn't disappoint! Read more in our race report, featuring reaction from 2nd place @giuliocicco1 👉📰 bit.ly/cicco-2-laruns
"I feel that I am still not at 100% of my potential" - Giulio Ciccone up to 3rd in GC after lighting up stage 5 of the Tour de France
CyclingThursday, 06 July 2023 at 10:15
On an enthralling stage where there were plenty of sub-stories, Giulio Ciccone comes away from the drama well in the mix, both in the general classification and in the King of the Mountains.
“We knew it would be a good day for the breakaway, an explosive day, but I didn’t expect so much quality in the attacking group. When you finish second in a Tour de France stage, I think it’s normal to have a bit of regret," Ciccone, who came home 32 seconds behind stage winner Jai Hindley, tells the official website of Lidl-Trek. "On the last climb there was a misunderstanding with the my team car, I had misunderstood the gap to Hindley and I wanted to keep pulling. Therefore, my directors were right in telling not to pull as they knew the real gap."
The brilliant ride from Ciccone now sees him up to second in the King of the Mountains classification, 9 points behind Felix Gall and third in the GC, 1:03 down on the new Maillot Jaune, Hindley. "In the end, it was a good day, a good first test on the climb. I feel that I am still not at 100% of my potential. The legs are good but it can be better. With a cool mind I realized that this result was the best I could have achieved today."
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"Actions like today’s are very energy-consuming. And in race situations like these, GC scrambles also happen. Now I’m third in the GC, but my ambitions on the eve of the race don’t change, mine and the team’s plans don’t change," Ciccone clarifies. "Mattias Skjelmose is still our GC man and he will have full support in his mission. I’m here chasing stages, as I tried to do today, and aiming for the polka-dot jersey. I want to make it clear. For the first goal, I will obviously try new attacks; for the second, the competition is strong, as Gall showed today. Let’s stay focused on the next stages.”
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