Let's be honest. Giulio won because he's an incredible bike rider. But his victory does tell an interesting story about why one of the best teams in the world decided to switch to hot wax in the first place.
Because while most cyclists start hot waxing because they want a cleaner chain, Lidl-Trek started using it because they wanted a faster one.
And there's a big difference between those two things.
Most riders are tired of cleaning black & dirty chains
If you've ever switched from oil to hot wax, you'll probably recognise this. The first thing people notice isn't speed. It's cleanliness.
No more black chain. No more greasy cassette.
No more dirty hands every time you touch your bike. For most cyclists, that's already enough reason to never go back.
And honestly, we completely understand that. A clean chain just makes riding more enjoyable. But when you're racing at WorldTour level, things look a little different.
At Lidl-Trek, every watt matters
Professional cyclists don't really look at a chain as something that needs maintenance. They look at it as a performance component. The same way they think about tyres, wheels or aerodynamics.
If there's a way to reduce friction and make the bike more efficient, they want to know about it. That's exactly where hot wax comes in.
Because compared to traditional oil lubricants, a properly prepared hot-waxed chain creates less friction in the drivetrain. Less friction means less energy loss. And less energy loss means more of the rider's effort actually reaches the rear wheel.
The gains might sound small on paper.But professional cycling is built on small gains.
The first ride changed everything
One of our favourite stories from the partnership happened early on when Lidl-Trek started testing hot wax. Mads Pedersen went out for a training ride on a Cyclowaxed chain.
When he got back, he picked up the phone and called the team's Head of Performance. His message was pretty simple: "I never want to ride anything else." That's probably one of the nicest compliments we've ever received. Not just because it came from Mads. But because it confirmed what we've been saying for years.
Once riders experience the difference for themselves, they don't really want to go back.
“After one test ride, I never want to go back to oil. Hot wax is so clean, so fast. I loved it.
The numbers back it up
Of course, professional teams don't make decisions based on feelings alone. They look at data. And the data around hot wax has become pretty difficult to ignore.
Below you can see the difference between a traditional oil-lubed chain and a properly hot waxed chain. For most riders, those numbers mean a cleaner bike and less maintenance. For a WorldTour team, they represent free speed.
A clean chain is a fast chain
People think hot wax it's all about cleanliness. And while that's certainly a huge benefit, it's only part of the story.
The reason WorldTour teams use hot wax isn't because they enjoy having clean bikes. They use it because it's faster. The clean drivetrain is a nice bonus. So when we saw Giulio Ciccone standing on that Giro podium wearing the blue King of the Mountains jersey, we couldn't help but smile. It shows how far this technology has come.Five years ago, hot waxing was something only a small group of cycling nerds talked about.
Today, it's trusted by one of the best teams in the world. And every week, more cyclists are discovering exactly why.
Because whether you're riding the Giro d'Italia or your local Sunday ride, the principle remains the same: A clean chain is a fast chain.
Get the Lidl-Trek chain setup below
The cool thing is, that you can ride the exact same setup as the Lidl-Trek Pros:
