Giulio Ciccone has admitted he must begin his 2024 coaching from zero after surgical procedure for a nasty saddle sore means he’ll spend 4 weeks off the bike.
The Lidl-Trek rider was supposed to move to altitude at Mount Teide after which goal Tirreno-Adriatico in early March. He underwent surgical procedure on Monday and now he’s even uncertain about using the Giro d’Italia in Could.
“It is an enormous blow”, the 2023 Tour de France polka-dot jersey winner informed La Gazzetta dello Sport as he started his restoration from surgical procedure.
“I am going to have to start out from zero after such a protracted interval off the bike. Every part will take time and once I begin coaching once more, I can not go at 100% with a heavy coaching programme.”
Ciccone revealed that he first felt issues in January and he and Lidl-Trek tried different therapies earlier than surgical procedure turned unavoidable.
“I simply could not trip my bike. There was no various,” Ciccone admitted.
He underwent surgical procedure in Milan with the identical surgeon who handled Fausto Masnada final yr. The Soudal-Fast Step rider was out of motion for a lot of the summer season and was unable to assist Remco Evenepoel within the Grand Excursions however has now made a full restoration.
Ciccone was supposed to steer Lidl-Trek on the Giro d’Italia, with Tao Geoghegan Hart and Mattias Skjelmose the crew’s GC riders for the Tour de France. Ciccone may maybe return to the Tour de France this summer season, with Lidl-Trek specializing in stage victories on the Giro d’Italia with sprinter Jonathan Milan.
Ciccone may race once more as quickly as April however neither he nor Lidl-Trek need to take any dangers.
“I need to make a full restoration and that is why a protracted interval off the bike is required. Dashing issues could possibly be dangerous,” Ciccone, who final June prolonged his contract with Lidl-Trek by means of the tip of the 2027 season, defined.
“In the meanwhile it is tough to consider once I’ll be again racing. For positive it’s going to be not possible to prepare for the Giro as I might deliberate. For now I need to get better, get again on the bike after which see what occurs.
“I do not need to throw away the entire season, I need to obtain one thing. It is true I’ve received to start out from scratch, however there’s a lengthy season forward of us.
“In any case the issues I’ve confronted in recent times, I feel I’ve ‘paid’ sufficient. Once I get again racing, I need to get some payback for all the pieces I’ve overcome. I feel I deserve it.”
