Giulio Ciccone states that “cycling has completely changed in the last 5 years, and there’s no way to compare it to another era”

Italy continues to search for a “new Nibali” who can win the general classification. The current hope rests on the shoulders of Giulio Ciccone. For a while now, and in 2023, he changed his plan: goodbye to the pressure for the general classification to become a “stage winner.”

After a successful 2023, an exciting new year awaits the winner of the Mountain Classification in the last Tour de France within a structure that, with Lidl’s sponsorship, aspires to become the best team in the world. In a recent interview with Marca, Ciccone opened up about his expectations for 2024.

Lidl-Trek with significant changes

“Everything has changed, and great cyclists have arrived; everything is much more solid and strong. At the moment, we haven’t finalized the plan; we are discussing the programs, but in principle, I would like to go to the Giro because for Italians, it is always our favorite race.

But there is also the Tour, which in 2024 “starts in Italy. Maybe I could do these two races, but it’s something I still have to work out with the team,” reveals the winner of the Giro Mountain Classification in 2019.

New sponsor, more pressure

With the arrival of the new sponsor, the goals have been raised for everyone. “The pressure increases. We all have to perform better. Lidl hasn’t hidden the desire for this team to become the best in the world. With that, everything will change a bit: the calendar, expectations, pressure…

For the Italian, who renewed his contract until 2027 with his team, this new cycling “demands a lot from us because the rest is very short, and the active period is very long. Details, nutrition, and everything else, it requires a lot of effort and sacrifice, but we do it willingly.

“Cycling has completely changed. It is very different from what it was 5 or 7 years ago. Making comparisons with the past is, let’s say, wrong because the whole dynamics have changed. We live in a generation where cycling has some phenomena that, in my opinion, we hadn’t seen in a long time. Everything is much more difficult,” concluded the Italian.