Damiano Caruso said he must find a compromise between his ambitions and the Bahrain Victorias team's plans before deciding on a race program for 2022.

At this year's Giro d'Italia, he finished second overall after Mikel Landa took over as team leader after crashing early in the race.

In an interview with Il Messaggero last week, Caruso suggested that he would forgo the 2022 Giro because of Bahrain Victorious' plans to bring the strongest climbing team to the Tour de France, but then Franco Pellizotti ( Directeur Sportif Franco Pellizotti) told BiciSport (open in new tab) that he had not yet made a decision.

Speaking to reporters from the Bahrain Victorious training camp on Sunday, Caruso explained that he would sketch out his 2022 Grand Tour plans in the coming days.

"As of today, nothing is official," Caruso said. 'We're still trying to work out a compromise between my desires and the team's requirements, so to speak. In the next few days we will do a little review and see where the compromise lies."

With the Giro set to be held in his native Sicily in 2022, Caruso seems eager to line up on the Corsa Rosa again, but insisted that his success last year (stage wins in both the Giro and Vuelta a España) will not unfairly alter his role on the team.

After the Grande Partenza in Hungary, the Giro will feature a summit finish on the summit of Mount Etna on stage 4.

"Having two stages in Sicily is a motivating factor," said the team leader. 'I know the roads well and I want to be there for myself and for the Tifosi. But as I said before, I have to look at the demands of the team and decide what is the best program for me."

Caruso's teammate Landa said he hopes to compete in both the Giro and Tour next season after crashing and missing the 2021 Giro and Tour. In Landa's absence at the Giro, Caruso was free to pursue his own ambitions.

He claimed victory in Alpe Motta on the final day, making it difficult for eventual Giro winner Egan Bernal in a long-distance attack. Later in the summer, Caruso claimed a solo victory in the Vuelta's Alto de Verefique, helping Jack Haig to a third place overall finish.

"Winning the Giro was like a childhood dream come true. The podium was the cherry on top of the cake," Caruso said. I also enjoyed the stage I won in the Vuelta."