The Giro d'Italia opening week concludes with a potentially race-defining 35km from Savignano sul Rubicone to Cesena. This lengthy individual time trial of the Giro was one of the factors that persuaded Remco Evenepoel to return to the corsa rosa this year and the world champion will look to replicate the performance he delivered in Alicante at a similar juncture on last year’s Vuelta a España.
In putting almost a minute into Primož Roglič there, Evenepoel put himself in pole position to carry the maillot rojo to Madrid. A similar performance here would be a crucial step on the path to donning the maglia rosa in Rome.
The route is perfectly flat and the course is far from technical. Sheer power and smart aerodynamics will be the key factors in a stage where there is no hiding place whatsoever.
Given the situation coming into the stage, it will certainly be the most critical stage so far in the general classification.
After conceding 14 seconds to Primož Roglič (Jumbo-Visma), Tao Geoghegan Hart and Geraint Thomas (Ineos Grenadiers) on the steep slopes of I Cappuccini, Remco Evenepoel will welcome the friendlier confines of the time trial on Sunday. It gives Evenepoel an instant chance to remedy Giro d’Italia setback, as dissected by Cyclingnews' Barry Ryan in his race analysis.
Evenepoel came to Italy to reconnoitre the time trial in November, and he declared himself encouraged by what he had seen. The 35km run from Savignano sul Rubicone to Cesena is almost entirely flat and devoid of any particularly demanding corners, though the expected wet weather adds an unwelcome layer of complication to the parcours.
“With the forecast of rain, it’s going to be more difficult,” Stefan Küng (Groupama-FDJ) warned, who enters the stage as a potential favourite.
However, in the absence of time trial specialist Filippo Ganna, who left the race with COVID-19 on Saturday, it's hard to see anyone other than an in-form Evenepoel as the most serious contender.
Given his spills on the road over the last week, though, and his struggles in the mountain yesterday, we could perhaps see a surprise.
We have compiled the full set of Giro d'Italia stage 9 time trial start times and will be covering the stage on our live blog, as it happens.
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