Ganna wins Tour de La Provence opening time trial

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Reigning individual pursuit world champion Filippo Ganna won the inaugural time trial of the fourth edition of the Tour de La Provence on the 8.9km pan flat course at Saintes-Marie-de-la-Mer. The 22-year-old bettered by nine seconds the time of Dutchman Sebastian Langeveld from EF Education First who stood as the best for almost two and half hours. Frenchman Rémi Cavagna of Deceunick-Quick Step settled for third place ten seconds adrift.

"I've started the new season on a high foot," Ganna said. "It was a fast course. When I saw that it was a bit windy, I realized I had to do it seriously. We joked before the start that I had to ride one pursuit of 4km and straight after that, another one. To have the leader jersey in the first stage race I do this year is very important and beautiful. We have a good team to defend the jersey as long as I can."

This is Ganna's first win for Team Sky on his debut with the British squad he joined from UAE Team Emirates. "I was known for my results on the track but I also want to perform on the road," the Italian added. "After the world championships in which I'll defend my title in two weeks, I hope to convince the staff to line me up at a Grand Tour to help my leaders that everyone knows."

With 27 seconds of an advantage over Thibaut Pinot and 29 over Gorka Izagirre, Ganna seems adamant that he can retain the leader's jersey that is a replica of Bernard Hinault and Greg LeMond's Tour de France winning team La Vie Claire in 1985 and 1986 despite the climbs featured on the course of stage 2 and stage 3 of the Tour de la Provence. La Vie Claire and Toshiba team owner Bernard Tapie flagged off stage 1 after he was joined for lunch by some of his former riders, namely Jean-François Bernard, Marc Madiot, Vincent Barteau, Bernard Vallet, Charly Bérard and Jean-François Rault.

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