Filippo Ganna smashes Tirreno-Adriatico opening time trial

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Filippo Ganna (Ineos Grenadiers) more than confirmed his stage favourite status in the opening time trial of the 2023 Tirreno-Adriatico. The Italian champion absolutely smashed the competition, putting 23 seconds into second-placed Lennard Kämna (Bora-Hansgrohe) in just 11.5 kilometres.

Ganna's teammate Magnus Sheffield spent ample time in the hot seat before being knocked off by Kämna, withstanding challenges from Michael Hepburn (Jayco-AlUla) and Brandon McNulty (UAE Team Emirates).

However, when Ganna took to the course, he quickly began opening up time over the previous top finishers and by the end, riding a full 2kph faster than Kämna, had opened up a margin that will see him in the blue leader's jersey for several stages.

"We did an amazing performance today," Ganna said after his win. "I'm really happy for me and the team. After Strade with Tom, we continue in a good shape altogether. It's good for the morale. We'll see tomorrow with the stages coming and we'll enjoy the race.

"I just think to ride as fast as possible. Two days ago I didn't know what my performance today could be, but I believe to do the maximum possible for me and for the Italian people.

"It's really nice because after many many podiums, now the victory arriving is very important for me. I think also for the morale and for the Classics it can be a special motivation in my head.

"I think that [Sheffield] did an amazing performance and he's in amazingly good shape. For sure, we have one of the best teams here to do something good."

How it unfolded

The opening stage of Tirreno-Adriatico began under pouring rain in the coastal town of Lido di Camaiore, with the weather likely to have a big effect on the 11.5km course.

Early starters would have little hope of victory at the end of the day, with the worst of the rain forecast coming during the early part of the stage. The rain would improve to a drizzle at the midway point of the course, though back at the start-finish area it barely eased up all afternoon.

Among those caught out was Wout van Aert (Jumbo-Visma), who would otherwise have been among the favourites for the win. The Belgian was second-fastest to Bora-Hansgrohe rider Nico Denz, though the pairs times of 13:42 and 13:37 would soon be blown away by later riders.

French time trial champion Bruno Armirail (Groupama-FDJ) was the next man to top the timing sheets, setting a time of 13:25 at the finish line, his average speed of 51.429kph well up on Denz’s 50.673kph.

By the time Strade Bianche winner Tom Pidcock (Ineos Grenadiers) set off 45 minutes after the start, the rain had abated somewhat, with no rainfall at all at the midway point hairpin. The Briton set a time of 12:54, while a few minutes later Trek-Segafredo’s Toms Skujins put in a surprising ride to take provisional second with a time of 13:35, just 10 seconds off Armirail.

Michał Kwiatkowski (Ineos Grenadiers) went even quicker, his time of 13:30 pushing Skujins down to third as Armirail sighed in relief as he watched the 2018 Tirreno winner cross the line.

Astana Qazaqstan neo-pro Gleb Syritsa was the next man to put in a surprise ride of the day, leading at the checkpoint before narrowly missing out to Armirail at the line by just three seconds. Shortly afterwards, the leaderboards blew up as Magnus Sheffield (Ineos Grenadiers) blitzed the course, racing home a second under 13 minutes to put a massive 26 seconds into Armirail.

GC contender Jai Hindley (Bora-Hansgrohe) raced into second place with a top ride to set a time of 13:19, while his compatriot Ben O’Connor (AG2R Citroën) also impressed, finishing a further second down. Tao Geoghegan Hart (Ineos Grenadiers) wasn’t far back either, his time a second behind O’Connor.

Nelson Oliveira (Movistar) edged out Hindley by two seconds, while Aleksandr Vlasov (Bora-Hansgrohe) slotted between them, and seconds later Primož Roglič (Jumbo-Visma) nestled in between them, leaving second to eighth places covered by just four seconds.

With the road drying and riders speeding up, Brandon McNulty (UAE Team Emirates) made it a one-two for USA at the top of the leaderboards, just three seconds down on Sheffield, while Thymen Arensman (Ineos Grenadiers) went third at 13:07.

Michael Hepburn (Jayco-AlUla) was up at the checkpoint but faded a little on run back to finish just two seconds down on Sheffield, whose top spot was looking more and more precarious.

German time trial champion Lennard Kämna had no problems on the run to the line, however. The Bora-Hansgrohe rider was level with Hepburn at the checkpoint but managed to overhaul Sheffield by three seconds.

Of the men left to take on the course, only two-time world time trial champion Filippo Ganna (Ineos Grenadiers) looked likely to unseat Kämna. Clad in the colours of Italian TT champion, the 26-year-old blasted along the drying opening kilometres of the course, reaching the checkpoint at a huge 10 seconds up on the provisional leader.

That gap would only go up as Ganna blazed a trail towards the finish, with his 55.348kph average speed a full 2kph quicker than anyone else and his advantage at the line a gaping 28 seconds.

With the 25th time trial and prologue victory of his career, Ganna took his first win of the new season and with it the opening blue leader’s jersey of the race.

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