Italy's Ciccone wins Challenge of Stars climbers' event

FILE PHOTO: Cycling - Tour de France - The 200-km Stage 8 from Macon to Saint-Etienne - July 13, 2019 - Trek-Segafredo rider Giulio Ciccone of Italy, wearing the overall leader's yellow jersey, in action. REUTERS/Gonzalo Fuentes

(Reuters) - Italian Giulio Ciccone won the climbers' event in a virtual cycling competition, the Challenge of Stars, on Sunday.

The Trek Segafredo rider, who had a spell wearing the overall leader's yellow jersey during last year' Tour de France, beat Belgian Thomas De Gendt in the final, on northern Italy's Stelvio climb, a 2.9km-ascent at an average gradient of 8.69%.