Giulio Ciccone has been ruled out of the Giro d’Italia in the wake of recent surgery to remove a perineal cyst. Although the Italian has now returned to training, his Lidl-Trek team confirmed on Thursday that he would not return to full fitness in time for the Giro, which gets under way in Turin on May 4.
“Unfortunately, reaching the ideal form in the time required to pursue the goal of the GC or, at the very least, to race the Giro as a main protagonist, does not align with the delicacy of his recovery,” read a statement from Lidl-Trek.
“Considering the long period of inactivity and the need for a gradual approach to training to avoid further problems, it was decided, by mutual agreement, to shift his focus to goals further ahead in the season.”
Ciccone first experienced issues with the saddle sore in January and opted to undergo surgery in early February after other treatments had failed to remedy the issue. The decision meant that Ciccone had to delay the start of his season, missing out on a planned altitude camp at Mount Teide and participation at Tirreno-Adriatico.
Speaking to La Gazzetta dello Sport following the operation last month, Ciccone had already acknowledged that lining out at the 2024 Giro would likely be “impossible.” Lidl-Trek have indicated that he is likely to resume his season in May, but no schedule has yet been outlined.
“For the moment, the decision to skip the Giro d’Italia is the only one that has been taken,” Lidl-Trek said.
“If his preparation continues without problems, there is a good chance of seeing Cicco racing for the first time in May. The decision on his eventual 2024 season debut will be taken in April, together with the announcement of a new racing calendar.”
One logical option would be for Ciccone to ride the Tour de France alongside Tao Geoghegan Hart and Mattias Skjelmose.
Ciccone missed last year’s Giro after testing positive for COVID-19 shortly before the race. He later won a stage of the Critérium du Dauphiné and claimed the king of the mountains prize at the Tour de France.
The 29-year-old has won three stages at the Giro during his career, most recently at Cogne in 2022. His highest overall finish remains his 16th place of 2019, when he also won in Ponte di Legno and claimed the king of the mountains prize.
