Ganna wins TT as Benjamin Thomas seals overall in Bessèges

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Filippo Ganna (Ineos Grenadiers) powered to time trial victory on the final stage 5 of the Etoile de Bessèges while Benjamin Thomas (Cofidis) clinched overall honours. 

World time trial champion, Ganna, also won the same stage last season and made light work of the Alès l'Ermitage finishing climb clocking a winning time of 15 minutes and 32 seconds over the 10.6-kilometre time trial. 

Ganna will head to the UAE Tour in two weeks’ time which also has a nine-kilometre time trial on stage 3. 

The 52nd edition was won overall by Thomas who finished just 9.6 seconds behind Ganna taking third place on the stage and stretching his overall lead. 

Former road world champion and stage 1 winner Mads Pedersen (Trek-Segafredo) finished third on the time trial stage. 

The overall standings stayed the same from the previous day with Thomas winning but increasing his lead to 16 seconds ahead of Alberto Bettiol (EF Education-EasyPost) in second.  

Tobias Halland Johannessen (Uno-X Pro Cycling Team) just held on to third overall in the final time trial 32 seconds behind Thomas and just two seconds ahead of Pierre Latour (TotalEnergies). 

How it unfolded

The Etoile de Bessèges overall victory was to be decided by a 10.6 kilometres time trial on the streets of Alès and the deciding climb of 2.6 kilometres in length with a maximum of 8.1 per cent up to the finish at Alès l'Ermitage. 

Starting in Alès riders completed two out and back legs one either side of the river Gardon d'Alès before making the final climb to the summit of Alès l'Ermitage. 

The time trial course and finishing climb were different to that used in last year’s edition of the race. 

Benjamin Thomas (Cofidis) held a lead of just seven seconds coming into the final time trial stage ahead of Alberto Bettiol (EF Education-EasyPost). 

Two-time national French time trial champion Thomas was looking for the first professional stage-race victory of his career. 

After winning the previous day’s mountain top finish on Mont Bouquet young Danish rider Tobias Halland Johannessen (Uno-X Pro Cycling Team) threw his hat into the overall fight starting just eight seconds back from Thomas. 

The TotalEnergies pair of Pierre Latour and Mathieu Burgaudeau also posed a threat to the overall sitting at 25 and 26 seconds respectively before the final day. 

Stage honours were also up for grabs and world time trial champion Filippo Ganna (Ineos Grenadiers) was looking to test his early season form after finishing seventh in the opening road stage. 

Last year,, Ganna won final time trial stage of the Etoile de Bessèges beating Thomas by 10 seconds on that occasion. 

Fellow Ineos Grenadiers star Richard Carapaz chose not to start the final stage as part of his recovery from a crash two days earlier. 

Six-time Vuelta a España stage winner Magnus Cort (EF Education-EasyPost) was an early starter and setting a benchmark of 16 minutes and 10 seconds before Morten Hulgaard (Uno-X Pro Cycling Team) lowered his mark by four seconds, but both would be comfortably beaten as the day wore on. 

World champion Ganna also had an early start and pushed his limits in search of the stage victory navigating the several roundabouts at speed before turning onto the final climb. 

Charging up the Alès l'Ermitage, Ganna caught and passed minute man Łukasz Wiśniowski (EF Education-EasyPost) while remaining in his aerodynamic position. 

Sprinting out of the final corner before remaining seated on the final charge Ganna stopped the clock in 15:32. 

Bauke Mollema (Trek-Segafredo) showed his improvement on the time trial bike over the winter finishing just 11 seconds down on Ganna which was eventually good enough for fourth. 

Fellow Trek-Segafredo rider Mads Pedersen, who also won the opening stage in southern France, pushed the time of Ganna further finishing just six seconds down taking second in 15:38. 

In the battle for overall honours the last 10 riders all started two minutes apart with French national time trial champion and race leader Thomas last on the course. 

The out and back nature of the first section of the course allowed riders to see their rivals and the time gaps. 

The inexperienced Johannessen was only taking on his third time trial at professional level and had a gap of eight seconds to close on Thomas. 

Latour was the first rider to put pressure on the final podium places starting the day 25 seconds behind Thomas and clocking 15:52. 

Johannessen was next to finish but the 22-year-old was losing time on Latour eventually coming home in 16-06 and just holding on to his third place overall by two seconds. 

In the battle for overall victory Bettiol was next to finish needing seven seconds on Thomas and putting in a good ride of 15:51. 

However, Thomas was not to be denied stomping up the final climb with the stage victory also within reach.  

Eventually the Frenchman finished 10 seconds down on Ganna in 15:52 taking third on the stage and overall victory.