Giulio Ciccone, who missed out on a chance for a top overall finish at this year's Giro d'Italia and Vuelta a España due to crashes, will continue his quest for an overall finish at the 2022 Grand Tour.

The Trek-Segafredo rider had one of the most impressive performances on the climbs of the opening two weeks of the Giro, placing 6th overall at the second rest.

Ciccone's Vuelta also ended early due to a crash. He was in 12th place overall and was looking to move up in the mountains on the final day, but a crash on stage 16 ended his race.

"Without the bad luck, the conditions were great, especially in the Giro d'Italia. I was so close to the podium, but I crashed on the descent of the stage to Sega di Ala."

"If you look at my results, [the season] was below my expectations. But with the (power) numbers we have, I think we did better than in 2019. But this time we had to run for GC, whereas two years ago we concentrated on stage wins."

The 26-year-old was fully encouraged to continue running the same way in 2022, confirming that, at least for now, he has no intention of returning to his former existence of aggressively targeting stage wins.

"Until I understand my true value [as a GC rider], I would say no," Ciccone explained.

"If I had finished the Giro and the Vuelta this year, I would know better. Even in Spain, where I wasn't at my best, I was close to the top ten.

"Sure, with riders like Pogachar, Roglic, and Bernal in the Gruppo, it would be almost impossible to win a Grand Tour. But for now, I'm going to be the GC rider."

Ciccone started the 2021 Giro as a "wild card" for Trek-Segafredo, led by Vincenzo Nibali, but the Sicilian native will finish his two-year stint with the team and will race for Astana Cazacustan next season. Nibali had his only success in Trek-Segafredo colors at the Giro di Sicilia in October.

Ciccone struggled at the 2020 Giro after contracting COVID-19 the previous month, and Nibali's 2021 Giro challenge was jeopardized by a training crash he suffered in April.

"Things with him didn't go as I had hoped," Nibali said. But we remain good friends off the bike. Either way, I fulfilled my responsibility. In the Giro, I was the leader after he crashed a month before the race, and the same in the Vuelta."

Ciccone has yet to announce a program for 2022, but with a summit finish in his hometown of Abruzzo atop the Brockhaus on stage 9, it is hard to imagine him forgoing the Giro, which has the lowest total time trial distance since 1962. For now, however, Ciccone has narrowed his wish list to one for 2022. I know I'll be in the top five. ......."

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