Giulio Ciccone’s hopes of a successful Giro d’Italia have been hit by the confirmation that he has tested positive for COVID-19, less than two weeks before the start of the corsa rosa.
The Italian rode Liège-Bastogne-Liège on Sunday, finishing 13th after initially chasing Remco Evenepoel with teammate Mattias Skjelmose. However he awoke with mild COVID-19 symptoms on Monday and tested positive for the virus.
Trek-Segafredo said Ciccone would observe a period of rest whilst our medical staff monitor his condition.
“Giulio Ciccone’s participation at the Giro is now on standby, to be decided after evaluating his recovery and obtaining a negative Covid test. A final decision will be taken in the final days before the start of the race,” Trek-Segafredo said in a statement.
A number of new cases of COVID-19 have emerged in the peloton recently, with Sam Oomen and Tosh Van der Sande unable to ride Sunday’s Liège-Bastogne-Liège for Jumbo-Visma after testing positive.
Ciccone is from the Abruzzo region of Italy, with the Giro d’Italia starting in the area on Saturday May 6 with an individual time trial. He was expected to target stage victories, alongside Mads Pedersen and Bauke Mollema.
“It’s a heavy news: positive for a third time,” Ciccone wrote on Instagram, with a photograph of him at home wearing a face mask.
“I only have minor symptoms but it's a big blow to my morale. I can only accept it and see if I recover for the Giro.”
Ciccone first caught the virus in the summer of 2020, ruining his Giro ambitions when the race was rescheduled to September due to the global pandemic. He crashed out of last year’s race in the final week when he looked set for a place in the top six. He also crashed out of the 2022 Vuelta a España.
He has enjoyed a return to form in 2023, winning a stage at the early-season Volta a la Comunitat Valenciana and a stage at the Volta Ciclista a Catalunya ahead of Primož Roglič and Remco Evenepoel.
He was fifth at Flèche Wallonne but faces several days in isolation at home and then medical checks before he can begin training and racing again.
