Giulio Ciccone insists that learning to work as a Grand Tour rider with his new Trek-Segafredo teammate Vincenzo Nibali, who comes from Bahrain-Merida, is the only positive thing for him.

Ciccone broke through in the 2019 season, winning the Mortirolo at the Giro d'Italia, where he also took the mountains prize, and wearing the yellow jersey for two days at the Tour de France.

The 25-year-old, who finished 16th overall in the Giro, hopes to one day turn his attention to the overall classification of the Grand Tour, but is content to support Nibali in this year's Corsa Rosa.

"Ultimately, at 25 years of age, having a few years to grow and develop with a great rider is better than trying to do too much on your own too soon and not getting it right. I prefer to grow calmly and work my way up."

Ciccone has been an active presence at the 2019 Giro, going on the offensive day after day to reinforce his lead in the mountains. His role will likely be different as he runs for Nibali in this year's race, but he will have room to pursue his own success at different points in the season.

"I will be there for Vincenzo in the Giro. By supporting Vincenzo, I can be an important element for the team. There is an understanding that I will continue on my path of personal development, working for the team's goals while pursuing my own personal satisfaction." I'm kind of halfway there, but I'm happy with that. I can learn from Vincenzo in the Grand Tours and play my cards a little better."

At Trek-Segafredo's pre-Christmas training camp in Sicily, Ciccone roomed with his new teammate and will follow much the same program as Nibali in 2020.

"I have a lot to learn from him. How he manages his mentality in big races, how he deals with pressure. Plus, there are a lot of technical aspects, like time trials, that I can learn from him and improve on."

Ciccone, from Abruzzo, turned pro with Bardiani-CSF in 2016 and got his pro career off to a brilliant start with a stage win at the Giro Sestra that year. His progress was briefly interrupted that winter when he underwent two heart resections to resolve supraventricular tachycardia, but he went on to win a stage at the 2017 Tour of Utah, followed by victory at the Giro dell'Appennino the following year.

"It's like water under the bridge, even if it was a bad moment at the time, I don't think about it anymore," Ciccone said of his heart surgery.

He stepped up to the WorldTour in 2019 with Trek-Segafredo, adapting seamlessly to the full calendar of top-level racing. In the opening time trial in Bologna, Ciccone set the fastest time on the final San Luca climb before taking the lead early in the mountain competition, and he deliberately held his own, defending his maglia azzurra until the finish in Verona.

"The Giro was a bit of a surprise for me too. The Giro is my favorite race and I always try to be in top shape, but this year I was surprised that I was in great shape all three weeks."

"I think I was lucky to take the blue jersey early on, I was able to hold onto it for three weeks and it was amazing to be able to keep my form for three weeks without having to think about GC. "

Ciccone's highlight of the Giro d'Italia was, of course, his victory on the rain-soaked stage 16 Ponte di Legno. Ciccone led the pack through Mortirolo and out-sprinted Jan Hilt (Astana) in the breakaway to take the win.

"It was a Giro where I was constantly on the attack. I was in the break every day and to win that stage, I think everyone at home was cheering for me," Ciccone said. I was happy. It's nice to have so many people cheering for you."

"We all like it when riders can be themselves. With my riding style, I've probably lost a lot of chances to win. On the bike, I'm a little more explosive, a little more euphoric, and always smiling, just like I am in my everyday life."

Ciccone's Tour de France debut came on the heels of his remarkable Giro success, and he left Brussels with an eye on making the most of his condition before he began to tire late in the race.

True to his word, he went on the offensive on stage 6, La Planche des Belles Fils, and although he endured the disappointment of losing the stage win to Dylan Tuns, he took great comfort in handing the maillot jaune to Julien Alaphilippe.

"My big dream was to win a stage at the Giro and the Tour in the same year, so when I realized I had a chance on that stage, I thought only about winning the stage. I was disappointed to lose the stage because I knew I was the strongest. I rode for the stage, not for the yellow jersey."

"In the last two kilometers, I stopped pulling and I lost a lot of time to the group behind me. In hindsight, if I had pulled, I would have had more time so I could have worn the jersey for a longer time."

"I was very happy with the way I rode.

Ciccone was only in yellow for two days, and a major crash in the second week of the Tour put the final third of the race to the test.

"In the end, it was better to wear yellow than to win a stage," Ciccone said. Winning is always difficult, but wearing the leader's jersey in a Grand Tour is even more difficult. Some of the greatest riders have never worn the yellow jersey." He said.

Ciccone is aware that expectations are high for the 2019 season, both externally and internally.

"I've embarked on another planet," he said. When you get important assurances like we got at the Giro and the Tour, something changes." But I'm still calm and working like I have in previous years."

The Italian will hope for similar progress in 2020, a season that may define the next phase of his career.

"If I can make another step forward in 2020, I'm convinced myself that even at 26 or 27 I can aim for GC in the Grand Tours," Ciccone said. 'But if 2020 is going to be like 2019, then I might need a little more time to reach another level. It's a bit of a question mark, so let's see what happens."