As it happened: Big reshuffle after crucial Giro d’Italia stage 10 time trial
A flat 40.2km against the clock in Tuscany
Hello and welcome to stage 10 of the Giro d'Italia!
After recharging their batteries yesterday, the Giro peloton is back racing today for what for many will be one of the most important stages of the race - the time trial.
The Giro organisers have been pretty stingy when it comes to time trials this year, with no tests of the clock beyond today’s stage, but this one alone is enough to make a very big impact on the race.
Having not put a foot wrong all race, this could be the day that Jonas Vingegaard takes the Maglia Rosa for the first time. His deficit to Afonso Eulálio of 2:24 might seem like a lot, but this is the kind of long, flat route that an elite time trialist like him can make huge gains.
This will be Afonso Eulálio’s fifth stage wearing the pink jersey - and potentially his last? His small frame is not that of a time trialist, and Vingegaard won’t hold back in trying to gain as much time as possible today.
But the Portuguese rider defied expectations on last Sunday’s summit finish to finish an exceptional fifth on the stage, and so shouldn’t be underestimated.
Frank van den Broek will be the first rider to set off, at 13:15 local time.
Of course, as with most Giro time trial stages in recent years, there's one man in particular to look out for for the stage win - Filippo Ganna. The home favourite has been itching for this stage all week, and its flat parcours is virtually perfect for him. He’ll be hopeful of adding to his career collection of 7 Giro stage wins.
OFFICIAL START
And they're off! Frank van den Broek rolls of the start ramp to get this time trial underway.
Van den Broek finds himself at the bottom of GC after dislocating his shoulder during stage two. It’s been a battle of survival since then, but he has persevered and survived this deep into the race.
The riders are setting off at one minute intervals.
Johan Price-Pejtersen becomes the 6th rider to begin, and he's one to watch out for. The Alpecin rider is a time trial specialist, especially on a flat course like this, and so will hope to set a strong early benchmark.
Price-Pejtersen was third in another similarly flat stage in Tuscany at the Tirreno-Adriatico a couple of years ago.
Max Walscheid is another rider to look out for, and has set off fast, already catching his minute man Arjen Livyns. Very encouragingly for him, he was third at a time trial on the same roads at Lido di Camaiore at this year’s Tirreno-Adriatico - albeit a much shorter one, at 11.5km.
Seeing as that time trial took place in the same location, and some of the same participants, it could be a prophetic indication of what might happen today. Remind yourself here of everything that happened that day.
Tirreno-Adriatico: Filippo Ganna wins stage 1 time trial with emphatic performance
One of the important times to remember: 14:20 CET. That’s when stage favourite Filippo Ganna will set off. Here’s a full list of the start times.
Giro d'Italia stage 10 time trial start times
Walscheid has been picking up minute men, so much so that he has passed all three of the riders who started before to set the first time at the intermediate sprint, of 20:09.
That’s already been beaten by Price-Pejtersen, who’s gone seven seconds quicker.
Jonathan Milan is off! He was fifth in the Tirreno time trial, but he's never performed so well in the longer efforts like today. You imagine this is one for him to take easy, and recharge the battery for a renewed hunt for Maglia Ciclamino points this week.
While we wait for the first riders to start finishing the course and posting times, have a read of Philippa York’s analysis of the first week.
Walscheid is through the second time check, with a time of 33:17.
Price-Pejtersen is again quicker...but this time only just! His advantage has been slashed from 7 seconds at the first time check to just the one second.
So far, these are the only two riders in it - Ryan Mullen was the closest to them at the first time check, at a distant 1:32.
Milan is through the first time check, and while he isn't taking it easy, it seems this time trial will be too long for him to gain anything in the points classification. He's third fastest so far, but a whole 1:28 down on Price-Pejtersen.
Walscheid is approaching the finish.
Walscheid sprints to finish, to the cheers of the roadside fans who have waited a while to catch a first glimpse of a cyclist, to set a time of 48:10.
Will Price-Pejtersen beat it? We'll know very soon.
He hasn't - Price-Pejtersen finished 12 seconds down on Walscheid. He slowed down in relation to his German rival over the course of the effort.
So Max Walscheid has set the early benchmark, and with no rider other than Price-Pejtersen coming anywhere near him at any of the intermediate checks, he'll likely be leader in the clubhouse for a while yet.
Hold that thought - Sjoerd Bax has just gone through the first check 12 seconds quicker than Price-Pejtersen and 19 seconds up on Walscheid.
This would be a turn up for the books in Bax can keep up this pace. He’s a good time trialist, but not historically at the level of Price-Pejtersen and Walscheid.
Here we go - time for Filippo Ganna! He's just stormed off the ramp, resplendent in the tricolore jersey as national champion.
Bax is still going very well - he's still fastest at the second check, this time by 12 seconds.
Alberto Bettiol has started his ride. While this is unlikely to be a stage for him and his Astana team, the Italian told Cyclingnews that they will be doing ‘crazy things’ in the coming weeks as they seek to add to their tally of two stages.
Another team looking to win yet more stages is UAE, and their best bet for the day, specialist Mikkel Bjerg, has just taken of.
Predictably, Ganna is picking up minute men. He’s just passed Cyril Barthe, and the pace difference between them is stark.
The Italian Tricolore passes the Maglia Ciclamino, as Ganna flies past Paul Magnier.
António Morgado has finished with a good time, third fastest at 1:48 behind Walscheid.
Here comes Sjoerd Bax to the finish, it could be close...
NEW FASTEST TIME - SJOERD BAX
Bax has done it! He's the new leader, having gone 13 seconds quicker than Walscheid.
Here's one to watch - Alec Segaert. He's looked in great shape all season, but has yet to ride a time trial, his favoured disciple.
Ganna's through the first time check - and he's flying! Already 40 seconds up on Bax.
Matteo Sobrero is a former Giro time trial stage winner from 2022, and has just set off from the start in pursuit of another.
When it comes to the stage win, one advantage Ganna has over Jonas Vingegaard is that he’s wearing his familiar jersey. As leader of the King of the Mountains classification, Vingegaard is forced to wear the blue jersey, and not his bespoke skinsuit - though the jersey supplies Castelli are bullish about its quality, claiming it might actually be quicker than Visma Lease a Bike’s.
Ganna is through the second check, and he's pulling further and further away. He's now 1:19 up on Bax.
Ganna, on his way to surely setting the fastest time so far.
Alec Segaert is through the first time check, fourth fastest at 48 seconds. That’s a decent time, but a long way down on Ganna.
Another role Segaert will be performing is to experience the route and reporting back to his Bahrain teammate Afonso Eulálio, who’s mission today is to once again cling hold of the pink jersey. He didn’t sound confident in yesterday’s press conference, but will give it his all.
Here comes Ganna, just how quick is this going to be?
NEW FASTEST TIME - FILIPPO GANNA
Very quick! Ganna puts 2:04 into Bax's time to take the lead. Now he must wait to see if that's going to be enough for the stage win.
Rémi Cavagna is on the road and going well, second fastest at both the first and second checks, but even he is over a minute behind Ganna. It could be that only Jonas Vingegaard is able to challenge the Italian’s time.
Filippo Ganna, the fastest so far.
Neither Segaert nor Bjerg are going quite as well as we anticipated, so far 6th and 7th respectively at the second check.
Cavagna finishes with the second fastest time! Were it not for the supremacy of Ganna, we'd be lauding that as an outstanding ride.
Alan Hatherly begins. As a rider who placed 6th at the Tirreno time trial here earlier this year, he's one to watch .
Rémi Cavagna, the second fastest rider so far. On such a specialist's course, he can be confident that most, perhaps even all, of the GC men will fall short of that time.
Magnus Sheffield is another rider who looked good for today, but has got off to a modest start, 13th fastest at the first check, 1:35 slower than his Netcompany Ineos teammate Ganna.
Enric Mas is off, a lot earlier than had he been as high up on GC after the first week as he'd hoped. We're unsure whether he's wearing the women's Movistar team skinsuit, as he has for many of the road stages.
Enric Mas has been wearing women's kit at the Giro d'Italia – What's really going on here?
Will Barta’s looking good. He’s just posted the 6th fastest time at the first time check, one of only 6 riders to be within a minute of Ganna.
We’re getting near the business end of this time trial, and the riders with stakes in the GC game are about to get going. The first of those in the top 20, Chris Harper, has just got going, followed by Sepp Kuss.
How’s Egan Bernal shaping up after his troubles earlier in the race, when he lost time suffering from an abnormally high heart race? We’ll find out soon as he starts his ride, seeking to make up time having found himself down in 15th overall.
Here’s a rider who could make big gains today - Derek Gee-West. He’s a superior time trialist on paper to most of his GC rivals, and only finds himself as far down as 14th on GC as a result of some bad luck in the first week.
Markel Beloki is about to roll out. He's quietly been one of the breakthrough riders of the Giro, rising to 11th on GC and 4th in the young riders' classification.
Will Barta has just completed the course with the 8th best time, the fastest time we've seen at the finish for a while.
We're into the top ten on GC now, as Michael Storer starts!
This will be a big day in the career of Giulio Pellizzari. The young Italian still hopes to remain in contention for what would be a first ever Grand Tour GC podium finish having limited his losses at last weekend’s mountain stages, but has he recovered from the illness that slowed him down that day, or can he recoup some time today? We’ll know soon as he starts his ride now.
With just 48 seconds separating Jai Hindley in 4th and Michael Storer in 10th, the GC top ten could be reshuffled completely today.
The in-form Lorenzo Milesi, who already has two top five placings at this Giro, finishes strongly to post the 7th fastest time so far.
Here comes a very interesting name - Thymen Arensman. The Dutchman is in the ascendancy having risen to 6th on GC following an excellent climbing performance on Sunday, and is, with the exception of Jonas Vingegaard, the best time trialist among the GC contenders. He’ll want to finish today close to the GC podium.
Derek Gee-West is off to a good start. He's 9th quickest at the first time check, and if he keeps this pace up, he stands to rise up the GC.
Jai Hindley is off! That leaves just three riders yet to start.
Markel Beloki is going well, 14th quickest at the first time check. He has lots of riders massed very close behind him on GC, so needs a strong ride to retain his 11th place on GC.
Felix Gall rolls of the start ramp. Time trials are not his happy place, but, having climbed brilliantly to move up to third overall, he has high ambitions at this Giro.
Jonas Vingegaard waits at the start ramp, adorned in Visma's notoriously unaesthetic - but very aerodynamic. He's probably the only man with the credentials to challenge Ganna. Can he put a fight in for the stage?
It's not a great time for Giulio Pellizzari at the first check, but neither is it a disaster. He's 18th fastest, in what might be another day of limiting losses as he battles with illness.
Ben O’Connor is looking very good. He arrives at the first check fourth quickest of anyone so far today!
And finally, Afonso Eulálio is the last rider to take to the road, adorned all in pink. But will this be his last day in that colour? It’s a hard one to call, as 2:24 could disappear rapidly against as quality a time trialist as Vingegaard on a course like this.
That's it the, everyone is now on the road.
The white jersey Mathys Rondel is struggling, down with the 27th best time at the first check. He's vulnerable to falling several places on GC.
Arensman is looking very good! He’s arrived at the first check with the second fastest time, with only his teammate Ganna faster.
Gee-West is improving as the course goes on, posting the 5th best time at the 3rd check.
Gee-West finishes, and sets the fourth best time, 2:16 down on Ganna. He stands to catapult up the GC.
The (potentially ill) Red Bull pair are fighting to limit their losses. Pellizzari is 16th quickest at the second check, and Hindley the 19th quickest at the first.
That means Hindley has already fallen behind Arensman on the virtual GC.
O'Connor has slowed a little relative to the others over the second phase of the course, setting the 8th fastest time at the second check.
As feared, Felix Gall is having a tough time. He's down in 27th at the first check, losing already half of his lead over Arensman in the virtual GC. At this rate, he might fall off the overall podium spots.
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Wow, here’s a turn up for the books - Vingegaard is only 10th fastest at the first check!
He’s 56 seconds down on Ganna, meaning surely the stage win will be the Italian's. But he’s also not making the kind of GC gains we expected.
In fact, at this rate he stands to lose time to Arensman, who has just posted the third best time at the second check.
Here comes Eulálio to the first check...
Eulálio finally arrives, 38th fastest, and, most importantly, 50 seconds slower than Vingegaard. With so much of this time trial still to ride, he faces a real fight to keep hold of pink.
The first of the GC top ten, Michael Storer, finishes, with a good time 3:05 slower than Ganna, the 12th best so far. That'll keep him in the top ten, just about holding off Derek Gee-West.
Giulio Pellizzari fiishes with the 15th berst time. That could have been much worse given his condition, but he will drop a place on GC behind Storer.
Meanwhile his Red Bull teammate Hindley is still losing time, 2:09 behind Ganna in 18th at the second check.
Ben O'Connor completes his strong ride to register the 10th best time, at 2:42. That'll see him move up on GC.
Here comes Vingegaard...and he's still underwhelming! 11th fastest at the second time check, 1:43 behind Ganna.
Arensman arrives at the finish, and sets a superb time, the second quickest today!
That'll see him rise above Rondel (who was down in 34th at the finish) on GC, and potentially Scaroni, Hindley and Gall too.
Incidentally, Rondel's slow time will see him fall out of the GC top ten.
Eulálio is digging in deep! He's 1:29 down on Vingegaard at the second check. The fate of the pink jersey will come down to the wire.
A reminder that Eulálio has a buffer of 2:24 over Vingegaard.
Scaroni finishes way down in 93rd at the finish, so he’ll also fall out of the GC top ten.
Here comes Hindley, how much time will he lose to Arensman in the race for the podium?
Hindley's 21st fastest, at 3:31. He'll fall from fourth on GC to 6th, overtaken by both Arensman and O'Connor.
At last Gall finishes, and he's 4:22 behind Ganna. That will see him fall behind Arensman, but nobody else. He's now 4th on GC.
Vingegaard finishes, with the 13th quickest time. Now we wait for Eulálio - this could be very close for who will be in pink!
Eulálio is nearing the line, and it looks like he should do it.
FILIPPO GANNA WINS THE STAGE
Meanwhile Eulálio is slower than Ganna's time, confirming the Italian as stage victor
Eulálio is spinning a high cadence and looking good.
Here he comes, it looks like he's going to be OK...
AFONSO EULALIO DEFENDS THE MAGLIA ROSA
That's it, Eulálio will stay in pink for at least one more day!
Eulálio reached the finish with 27 seconds to spare.
Eulálio, successfully defending the Maglia Rosa.
That might not have been a prime Jonas Vingagaard time trial performance, and might still not have the pink jersey, but he remains firmly in control of this race. The closest of the contenders behind him is now Thymen Arensman at 1:30, while the man who had given him most headaches in the mountains, Felix Gall, is now 1:55.
Jonas Vingegaard, who remains 2nd on GC.
That was a great day for Thymen Arensma, who was second on the stage and is now third on GC. For a rider who often doesn’t come into his own until the final week at Grand Tours, the Dutchman is now excellently placed to make the final podium.
Amid all the excitement in the GC race, it’s easy to forget that Filippo Ganna won the stage. That is the eighth Giro stage win of his career, all but one of which have come in time trials; and, with a winning margin of 1:54, one of the most comprehensive of the lot. This solidifies his status as one of the best Giro riders of his generation, and among the best time trialists of all time.
Thanks for joining us for stage ten, for what was another triumphant day in Afonso Eulálio’s dream Giro d’Italia, but also another assertion of dominance by Jonas Vingegaard - albeit not one as decisive as anticipated. The GC race isn’t over, with Arensman having gained a whole heap of time, Gall having limited his losses, and Eulálio clinging on to the Maglia Rosa. Be sure to return tomorrow for the next chapter of this Giro!
Get a closer look at the Giro d'Italia GC standings and how they changed today.
Felix Gall gave away some aerodynamic savings for comfort, he explained after losing time to Vingegaard in the TT.
