photo credits @ TotA
LIDL-Trek’s Giulio Ciccone returned to his winning ways on home soil after the Italian rider claimed the opening stage of the Tour of the Alps.
The uphill finish in San Lorenzo Dorsino seemed tailor-made for Ciccone’s explosive climbing style, and the Italian made good on those expectations, holding strong competition from Decathlon-AG2R’s duo of Felix Gall and emerging French talent Paul Seixas, underlining the race’s reputation as a launchpad for cycling’s future stars.
Among those keeping pace along the final climb was Romain Bardet (Team Picnic PostNL), who finished fourth and confirmed his credential on these roads after winning the 2022 edition. Rounding out the top ten were Florian Stork (Tudor Pro Cycling Team), Jai Hindley (Red Bull-Bora-Hansgrohe), Michael Storer (Tudor), Max Poole (Team Picnic PostNL), Jefferson Cepeda(EF Education – Easypost), and Matthew Riccitello (Israel – Premier Tech). Further down the standings, defending champion Juan Pedro Lopez (LIDL-Trek) and Italian Antonio Tiberi (Bahrain-Victorious) lost 14 seconds, Derek Gee (Israel Cycling Academy) ceded 35, and Tao Geoghegan Hart dropped 1 minute and 8 seconds—though he’ll take solace in LIDL-Trek’s team success.
“I’m really happy to be back racing after a long altitude training camp—and to start with a win here in Italy makes it even more special,” said a visibly emotional Ciccone. “This was a much-needed result, especially mentally, after a tough 2024 where I came close several times but couldn’t quite finish it off.”
“Just yesterday I was chatting with my friend Jannik Sinner—we’ve been training together on the bike recently—and he joked that after driver Antonio Giovinazzi’s win at the 6 Hours of Imola, I was the only one of our group still winless this year. Not anymore! Now we’re all square. I’m sure he’s watching and will keep following the race, even more as we’ll soon pass by his hometown, Sesto Pusteria.”
“In professional sport, whatever the discipline, it’s never easy to stay 100% focused—especially during high-altitude training when you’re away from your loved ones. Having a friend like Jannik helps keep your spirits up.”
“I feel like I started this season on the right foot. I’ve worked hard, especially on time trials, which have always been a weak point for me. After a frustrating 2024, this win means a lot. Now I just want to stay calm and focused as we approach the Giro—knowing I’m back at 100%.” “But first, there’s the Tour of the Alps—and we’re just getting started. Today’s stage showed how deep and competitive the field is. Not everyone has played their cards yet. I’m feeling good and confident.”
Earlier, 100 riders rolled out from San Lorenzo Dorsino, kicking off the five-day race across the Euregio region of Tirol–Südtirol/Alto Adige–Trentino. The action began early, with Davide Bais (Polti-VisitMalta), AJ August (INEOS Grenadiers), and Finlay Pickering (Bahrain Victorious) forming the first breakaway.
Their lead peaked at 4 minutes and 30 seconds before the field, led by Red Bull-Bora Hansgrohe and then LIDL-Trek, reeled them back ahead of the Passo Duron.
Another move by Pickering and Eddie Dunbar didn’t stick either, and a subsequent attack by Cepeda (EF Education), cresting the second-category climb with a 15-second lead, was also neutralized before the final 10 km. Mattia Bais launched a solo move on familiar roads and briefly gained a 15-second advantage, but he was caught with 2 km to go. In the final stretch, LIDL-Trek’s strategy came to fruition, setting up Ciccone’s powerful uphill sprint to victory—his first of the season, coming along his very first Melinda Green Leader’s Jersey.
