Before Giulio Ciccone's first test as team leader at this season's Vuelta a España, he will undergo a three-week finishing school at the Giro d'Italia under the guidance of Vincenzo Nibali.

The Italian's climbing ability, which has helped him win two Giro stage victories and the two-day yellow jersey at the 2019 Tour de France, marks a new departure this season for the 26-year-old, who was entrusted to lead Trek-Segafredo in the Vuelta.

"Honestly, I don't feel any pressure," Ciccone told reporters this week in a video conference.

"It's certainly a lot of responsibility. But I'm still young and have a lot of opportunities. First of all, I will run another Giro with Vincenzo. I have another year, or almost a whole season, to improve my time trial skills, for example. So I have time and no pressure."

Ciccone's best result over three weeks in the Grand Tour came in the 2019 Giro when he finished 16th overall, but his focus in that race was to carry the best climber, Maglia Azzurra, to Arena in Verona. 2020 Giro Nibali's He competed in a support role, but was diagnosed with coronavirus in September, which ruined his preparation and forced him to abandon the race after two weeks.

Ciccone will once again play a supporting role in the Giro this May as Nibali and Bauke Mollema lead Trek-Segafredo; given Nibali's ambition to run "more freely" in 2021, it is surprising that Ciccone is not given more freedom in the Corsa Rosa .

"For me it is very important to have Vincenzo and Bauke close to me in the Giro. I can study at the Giro and then be alone at the Vuelta and use what I've learned," Ciccone said, admitting that the Vuelta will be a turning point in his career.

"It's the first time I'm going for GC, but I think it's also a real opportunity. I need to understand if I can do it. After the Vuelta, I need to make a decision about my career."

"I need to make a decision about my career.

The 26-year-old's aggressive qualities have led him to his greatest success so far, but he is aware that he will need to curb at least some of those instincts when he takes on a leadership role in Spain.

"Of course, I need to change my approach; if I want to be GC, I need to conserve energy and take it one day at a time. 'But if I'm up there, I might try something. I'm not always at the wheel."

Ciccone started 2020 with a victory in the Trofeo Laiglia in Italian national team colors and had a strong showing on his home roads when the campaign resumed in August. He struggled in the first two weeks of the Giro and was forced to take more than a month off, followed by an even shorter break in the winter due to surgery for a deviated nasal septum. [He will start with Nibali at the Vuelta a la Comunitat Valenciana (February 3-7) and the Volta ao Algarve (February 17-21).

"Then we go to Tirreno Adriatico. It's the first test of the season," Ciccone said.

"It won't be the first and it won't be the last.