"I struggle with pink jersey rider riding at the front like that": Commentator calls Lidl-Trek's tactics a mistake
Cycling
Giulio Ciccone's pink jersey dream ended before the 31-year-old Italian even got to fully savor the moment. There was always a risk that the fifth stage, seemingly tailor-made for a breakaway, could see a change in race lead... However, the way Lidl-Trek went about the defense of the maglia rosa was rather strange.
After working hard for most of the day to keep within the range of breakaway, the final step - to close the two-minute gap - nobody was willing to make.
"May I say that it is a mistake by Lidl-Trek?" wonders Eurosport commentator Karsten Kroon. "Why didn't Ciccone go full throttle on the climb? He could have closed the gap. That was the moment he could have saved the pink jersey. Not now, it is too late."
"What was there for Ciccone to lose? He didn't ride full throttle up the climb. Then choose do or die, because he isn't riding for the general classification," is Kroon's opinion. "Maybe he wasn't feeling well, but now he let it depend on the pace of Aleksandr Vlasov. It's easy for us to say this in hindsight, and maybe something went wrong and he thought Pellizzari would attack. But I can't imagine Ciccone is going to be very happy about this."
At that point, Lidl-Trek had two cards in the peloton; Ciccone and their designated GC leader Derek Gee. However the Canadian champion did not show up in best shape the previous days, thus the decision to not spend any energy on chasing the escaped group was met with surprise, and maybe even confusion.
And just like that, Ciccone was tasked with pulling up to the head of peloton and lay down a gentle pace to not let the escapees gain too much advantage.
"I just struggle with this, the pink jersey rider riding at the front like that… He’s not just anyone. That really hurts," Kroon concluded.
Ondrej ZhasilCycling Journalist
Ondřej Zhasil is a cycling journalist at CyclingUpToDate and has been part of the team since 2023. He is based in Ostrava, the third-largest city in the Czech Republic, and covers professional cycling across the main UCI competitions, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España. A key focus of his work is startlist analysis and pre-race coverage, where he examines team selections, rider line-ups, and tactical scenarios ahead of major events.
Alongside WorldTour coverage, Ondřej has developed specific expertise in junior cycling and in racing across East Asia, including competitions in China and Japan. He also maintains a broad working knowledge of other disciplines and levels, including cyclocross, while continuing to expand his understanding of mountain bike racing.
Ondřej holds a bachelor’s degree in Mathematics and Physics, which supports his analytical, data-driven approach to performance and race analysis. In his reporting, he regularly uses ProCyclingStats for results, statistics, and historical context. He places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles promptly when new, verified information becomes available.
claps 1visitors 1
Just in
Popular news
Latest comments
- Seixas appears to be that good but if he isn't (an absolute rival to Pogacar) he would have plenty of company in rising stars that did not go on to fully meet the expectations of many. That Pogacar wasn't the greatest (as great) sooner can't be transposed onto another's development. It may be not that simple.flyer14-11-2026
- I agree that, for Evenepoel, the Euro championship is overshadowed by the slightly off Lombardia and Worlds. However, I disagree that "Ciccone also made a serious mistake at the European Championships" because I don't think he had a win in the bag although he could have won with a perfect bike throw. Guesswork about the finish is not evidence by me for some serious mistake. Sometimes you just barely lose - although Ciccone's sourpuss about it persona was serious.flyer14-11-2026
- I bet you photobombed the video since you are his shadow!frieders314-11-2026
- Skipping the 2027 TDF would be fine in my opinion, and if so, it further reveals that him racing it in 2026 was a good decision. Seixas speaks confident, almost cocky, these days (not meant to be a criticism) and I find it a tad humorous that people (rather commentators) continually chide and advise on how Decathlon should direct and manage Seixas when Paul seems to be calling all his shots since well before this year's TDF.flyer14-11-2026
- Well I just watched this and I thought it was great! If you’re a Pogi fan, like me, you’ll enjoy it. Even if you’re not necessarily a Pogi fan I still recommend it. There’s plenty of new stuff I didn’t know about and I’m a Pogi-maniac! Nice interviews with Pogi & Matteo Trentin too.Lozza14-11-2026
- Well I just watched this and I thought it was great! If you’re a Pogi fan, like me, you’ll enjoy it. Even if you’re not necessarily a Pogi fan I still recommend it. There’s plenty of new stuff I didn’t know about and I’m a Pogi-maniac! Nice interviews with Pogi & Matteo Trentin too. So Zonnewotsit can stick it!Lozza14-11-2026
- Who’s gifting grand tours at UAE? Defo not Pogi! Stage wins maybe.Lozza13-11-2026
- Sepp Kuss Vuelta 2023.Lozza13-11-2026
- they have no expertise with classics, they have no leaders in classics. the classics is dominated by the few Fuori Classe riders where other riders are left with scraps. the Hiring , the salaries dont make sense at all. Same problem as Man Utd. over paid players, egos, very little performanceabstractengineer13-11-2026
- Contract year means you gotta win, at least collect UCI points, helping be damnedabstractengineer13-11-2026
Loading
1 Comments