Giulio Ciccone withdraws from Trek-Segafredo’s Giro d’Italia staff attributable to persistent Covid-19 signs and optimistic take a look at

Trek-Segafredo staff chief Giulio Ciccone is out of the 2023 Giro d’Italia attributable to persistent Covid-19 signs and a latest optimistic take a look at.

The Italian has received three levels on the Giro in earlier years and briefly wore the Tour de France yellow jersey after a climb to La Planche des Belles Filles.

A mountain specialist, Ciccone was additionally the Giro’s high climber in 2019 and not too long ago beat Primoz Roglic and Remco Evenepoel to a summit end in Catalonia.

The 28-year-old had been pegged because the main rider for his staff within the Could 6-28 bike race round Italy alongside 2019 world champion, Denmark’s Mads Pedersen.

GIven his latest type; he completed second total within the Volta a la Comunitat Valenciana, he took the Orange jersey for the Factors classification in the identical race, and completed fifth within the Tirreno–Adriatico and fifth in La Fleche Wallonne, earlier than not too long ago using to seventh within the Volta a Catalunya.

Ciccone was devastated to overlook out on his house race.

He stated: “Giving up the Giro breaks my coronary heart. I can’t discover another phrases to explain my emotions proper now. I might have confronted my favorite race after the most effective begin to a season of my profession. I might have began from house, from my Abruzzo; a historic occasion, even distinctive. Every little thing was excellent after which… I imply, it feels absurd. I’ve to swallow a bitter capsule and the considered what I may have finished on this Giro shall be in my thoughts for a very long time.”

Trek–Segafredo director Gregory Rast echoed Ciccone’s sentiments.

He stated: “We’re dropping an important a part of our Giro squad. Along with his innate expertise and with the nice situation he has proven within the very first a part of the season, Giulio had all the things wanted to be one of many protagonists of the race. We’re sorry for him, as a result of we all know how a lot he needed to be there.”

On a optimistic observe, the season isn’t over for Ciccone, who pledged to return and make up for misplaced time quickly. He stated: “However, I’ve to take heed to my physique. I’ve to recuperate in one of the simplest ways doable as a result of the season is lengthy and the danger of compromising it might be too excessive. It’s a troublesome resolution, however I’ve to just accept the actual fact and look past it. As quickly as I return to racing, I’ll flip this disappointment into dedication.”

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