"It was a mistake to follow him" – Giulio Ciccone made to pay for quick response to Vingegaard's Stage 9 assault at La Vuelta

On the slopes of Valdezcaray, as the GC fight at the 2025 Vuelta a Espana finally exploded into life, Giulio Ciccone briefly dared to go toe-to-toe with two-time Tour de France champion Jonas Vingegaard. But in hindsight, he admits the price was simply too high.

Vingegaard lit the fuse with around 11km remaining on Stage 9, surging clear in response to a sharp injection of pace from teammate Matteo Jorgenson, it was Ciccone — and only Ciccone — who tried to go with him. For a fleeting moment, the move had the air of brilliance, the Italian clinging to the Dane’s wheel, the Red Jersey contenders scattered behind.

But within a kilometre, reality bit. The effort to follow Vingegaard proved unsustainable, and Ciccone was quickly spat out the back, left to watch as Joao Almeida, Tom Pidcock and Felix Gall came past — and away. He would eventually finish 1’46” down in the GC group, his ambition punished by Vingegaard’s remorseless tempo.

“I think I went too fast. It was just too hard for me,” Ciccone admitted at the summit, still smiling, still philosophical. “I really gave it everything, but maybe it was a mistake to follow him. Maybe I should’ve ridden my own pace right from the bottom of the climb.”

It was an honest admission from the Lidl–Trek rider, who came into the stage fourth overall, but by day’s end, he had slipped to sixth, overtaken by both Pidcock and Gall, and now finds himself facing a growing time gap to Almeida and, crucially, to Vingegaard — who may have just stamped his authority on this race heading into the first rest day.

The irony is that Lidl–Trek had played their hand well throughout the day. With Mads Pedersen protected in case the gradients proved manageable, and a strong supporting cast setting tempo, Ciccone was delivered to the base of the final climb in ideal position. What followed was bold — but arguably overreaching.

Despite the time loss, Ciccone was keen to focus on the positives. His legs, he insisted, were good. His team, motivated. And his belief in a strong second half of the race remains intact. “The sensations were good,” he said. “We had the confidence to try something today. That’s how it is — sometimes it works, sometimes not. Today, Jonas was incredibly strong. But we’ll try again, that’s for sure.”

Heading into the rest day, Ciccone sits sixth overall — still very much in the conversation, even if Vingegaard’s powerplay has shifted the narrative. With the high mountains still to come and the likes of Almeida and Pidcock not immune to bad days, the Italian will see opportunity ahead.

Crucially, so too will Lidl–Trek. The team has been one of the most proactive in the opening week, and their dual threat of Ciccone and Pedersen remains a potent asset. If anything, Sunday’s overreach may only sharpen their approach for what’s to come.

For now, though, Ciccone is left to reflect on a bold move that didn’t quite come off. “I did my best,” he said. “But maybe next time, I’ll choose my own rhythm.”