"You do not have a chance to find a way to beat them" - Amidst Visma domination, Giulio Ciccone grows ever more frustrated at the Giro's mountains

Giulio Ciccone managed to wear the maglia rosa for the first time at the 2026 Giro d'Italia, however it is currently being one where the Lidl-Trek rider is experiencing mixed feelings. The Italian rider is in tremendous form, but his results are being hampered by a dominant Team Visma | Lease a Bike.

“It is that kind of Giro, there is not much to say. The important thing is to feel good and keep trying," Ciccone shared with Bici.Pro. "I am a little sorry, because the stages where you need to go in the break with the legs are the ones where you do not have a chance.”

Ciccone was active in the first days of the race and on stage 4, through bonus seconds, he managed to leap into the race lead - a marking moment in his career. However, the next day he lost it to Afonso Eulálio, as the team was unable to defend it in the hilly stage into Potenza, and the German team did not receive the necessary help in the key phase of the race.

Losing the lead after one day was a frustrating remark, and ever since the Blockhaus stage, Ciccone began losing time purposefully so as to chase a stage win and potentially the KOM jersey. A plan that looked perfect on paper, but had one obstacle in the way.

On Corno alle Scale Ciccone was heading towards an isolated stage win, until Vingegaard and Felix Gall came along. On the Valle d'Aosta stage to Pila, Ciccone was once again very active and from the breakaway he was amongst the best already on the final climb. After Decathlon did the chasing on stage 9; Visma pushed all day long on stage 14. On stage 16 to Carì Ciccone gave up at the base of the final climb, as he only carried a few seconds over the peloton again led by a ruthless Visma that launched Vingegaard to his fourth stage win.

In a moment of visible frustration, Ciccone threw a bidon aggressively after collecting it from a soigneur, something has quickly spread on social media and earned him criticism.

As it stands, Jonas Vingegaard has won all four mountain stages - and summit finishes - of this Giro d'Italia. “It is right that Vingegaard races this way. He is the pink jersey and he is honouring the race in the best way, so chapeau to him and to the team that can control days like these, which are the most complicated".

But for a stage hunter like Ciccone, it is a cruel race circumstance, in which his efforts are not bringing the reward, despite him showing perfect form and executing plans well. "I do feel some bitterness, also because as the days go by the opportunities become fewer.”

The KOM jersey could still be conquered, as happened back in 2019; but that will require above all Vingegaard not to win the following two mountain stages. As it stands, the Dane is racking up 50 points per stage win, each in a summit finish; whilst Ciccone has been gathering points from smaller climbs and still has a large gap to close.

Stages 19 and 20 will be key when it comes to this, but if the current trend continues, the outcome is unlikely to change. “The blue jersey is in my head. Even if a Vingegaard like this, winning every uphill finish, makes the comeback difficult.”

Stages 17 and 18 provide the breakaway with golden opportunities, but the stages are not as selective, which removes the assurance that Ciccone can provide in the high mountains. But with four days of racing in the north of Italy left, he has to not only race for victory but motivate breakaways into collaborating away from Visma.

“I understand the other riders too. We have the experience to know when we are condemned not to make it to the finish. I understand that sometimes confidence can be missing. My attitude towards them is more about trying to keep morale high and keep trying.”

On the final mountain stages above all, the Lidl-Trek rider needs to continue having the legs. “It is not a question of tactics. It is only about legs, exhaustion and, in the end, when those behind decide to go for the stage win, you do not have a chance to find a way to beat them. The only opportunities are when Visma or the general classification men have less interest. For now those are the stages I do not like, but it may be necessary to compromise.”

“My condition is good. But when you decide not to ride for the general classification, you have to spend energy to get into the break, and at the same time it is difficult to make it to the finish," he concluded. "Maybe, in the end, it would have been better to ride for the general classification".